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Chapter Nineteen

"Can I get you anything?" the waitress asked Nicholas for the second time.

"Not at the moment. I?m waiting for somebody," Nicholas replied.

The waitress, a blonde with breasts that nearly spilled out of her low-cut uniform smiled saucily. "Sometimes we have things that aren?t on the menu." She winked and slid a piece of scrap paper toward him. "My phone number?just in case you want to order à la carte."

Nicholas picked up the piece of paper and crumpled it into a ball. He wasn?t interested. He wasn?t interested in anyone except Rebecca.

He took a sip of his wine and sighed in relief as he saw Gabe approach the secluded table. He half rose, but Gabe motioned him down as he slid into the chair opposite Nicholas.

"Nicholas." Gabe nodded a greeting.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me," Nicholas said.

"I?m not sure why I?m here," Gabe confessed. "But I think I have an idea."

"Rebecca," Nicholas replied, as if that said it all.

Gabe nodded. "That?s what I thought."

"It?s been two days since I?ve seen her?spoken with her. I thought it best if I give her some time to think."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Gabe asked.

"I need help," Nicholas confessed. "I need to convince Rebecca to marry me." He twisted his napkin between his fingers. "You know Rebecca ? tell me what I need to do."

The waitress appeared at their table. Gabe ordered a meal, but Nicholas waved her away. "I?m not hungry," he said.

"No appetite?" Gabe?s dark brows rose. "Not sleeping well? Having difficulty focusing?"

Nicholas looked at him in amazement. "Yes, all those. How did you know?"

Gabe grinned. "I?ve been there. It?s called love, Nicholas."

"Love." Wonder flowed through Nicholas. But of course. Love for Rebecca echoed in every chamber of his heart, flowed vibrantly through his veins. He loved Rebecca Baxter and he didn?t know what to do about it. He leaned forward. "Gabe, you?ve got to help me. Make her marry me. I need her."

"I can?t make Rebecca do anything," Gabe protested. "Have you told her how you feel?"

"I told her I didn?t want to marry anyone else. I told her we would have a good marriage." Nicholas frowned. "I don?t know what else to say to her."

"Have you told her you love her?"

Nicholas twisted the napkin once again. "No." He frowned thoughtfully. He said those words a hundred times in his past to a hundred women because he?d known it was what they wanted to hear. But, there had never been any real emotion behind the words.

Again Gabe smiled. "Women are funny creatures, Nicholas. They don?t want implied. They need to hear the words."

"I hadn?t said those words to her because my feelings for her transcend those simple three words." Again wonder raced through Nicholas.

He?d been searching for love a long time ? all the women he?d dated, all the relationships he?d had. But, it had remained elusive. And when he?d given up the notion, decided it was a foolish sentiment, it had reared up and slapped him in the face.

"I love her," he said aloud and looked at Gabe in astonishment. He stood, unable to sit another minute. "I?m sorry?I?ve got to go."

Gabe grinned. "I figured as much. Go on."

Nicholas raced from the restaurant, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt more alive than he?d ever felt in his life, and his heart ached with love for Rebecca.

It wasn?t until he was halfway to Gabe and Serena?s house that a dreadful thought struck him. He loved Rebecca, but what if she didn?t love him?

To be continued?