Nicole

After I finished taking a nice, ice-cold shower, I went to my bedroom and got dressed in clothing that matched exactly how I was feeling at the moment.

Yep... Socks with sandals because I didn't give a fuck, boring grey sweatpants to match the cloudiness in my brain, and Jaden's black jacket because I wanted him so bad right now.

Ugh... His plans for tonight sounded so amazing. I really needed that back rub.

And the thought of leaving him at home where he could easily call some women over made it even more of a burden for me to join Coach Jackson for this "important" discussion. Jaden's gotten away with sleeping around so many times before and me being away for a few hours is basically asking him to cheat on me.

No... I can trust him now... I can trust him...

There was a sudden buzz at my door, interrupting my thoughts and letting me know that it already must've been time to go. I dragged my feet to the door and swung it open.

"Ready?" Coach was dressed in a cute yellow button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some black pants, making himself look well put together... And making me look like complete garbage standing next to him, which I didn't mind.

I began pulling my hair up into a messy bun, "I'm ready whenever you are."

He cocked his head at me then chuckled, "You're going like that?"

"Isn't it pretty?" I did a small pose, making him laugh.

"You look like trash!" he chuckled.

I shrugged, "I feel like trash."

"I don't blame you. It's been a rough day... Alrighty, let's get going before they close on us." he gestured me to exit the room, which I did.

Coach led me out to the parking lot, where it was extremely dark outside. The sky had no other color, no stars, only pitch black, making it hard to see what was present in the distance. It was nothing like the night sky at home, away from all the city lights. At home, I could see gorgeous colors in the sky and stars twinkling all over the place like scattered diamonds. It always made the night perfect for ending the day in relaxation and peace.

Coach opened the passenger side for me and I climbed into his red Coupe and strapped myself in. He then made his way to the driver's seat and started the car, heading down the dark road illuminated by just the street lights and the headlights of his car. Most of the shops on this side of town were closed, obviously because it's getting pretty late.

"Which bar are we headed to?" I asked him. "If it's Barhama Paradise, you can just make that U-turn."

He laughed, remembering that incident, "I'm not dumb... I'm taking you somewhere nice. It's a jazz bar. You drink and watch live, smooth jazz performances while you're there."

I looked out of the window, watching as more light began to brighten the street as we headed deeper downtown, "That doesn't sound awful..."

"Believe me, it's great... You don't even have to like jazz to enjoy the place. It's full of cool things to do there."

"But we're just here to discuss the important things, right?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Right." he smiled.

* * * * *

We finally made it to the parking lot of the huge jazz bar. As he drove around to find a free parking space, I gazed out of the window at the eye-catching LED lights that illuminated the building's windows and signs. It was a little over the top for my liking. I don't usually find myself going into flashy places like this voluntarily.

Jackson appeared at my window, startling me. I wasn't paying enough attention to notice that he'd already parked the car.

He smiled and opened the door for me, "This place is amazing, right?"

I climbed out of the car with a shrug, faintly hearing the jazzy music from outside, "I would know when I get inside." I replied.

"Let's find out then." he grinned, placing his hand on the small of my back as a gesture to start walking.

I walked passed him and headed to the building, yawning. Why did he have to take me to such an upbeat place? I just want to relax right now, sleep even.

As I approached the entrance, the music gradually began to crescendo louder, I could hear the polished sounds of trumpets harmonizing with a bass guitar as a tone of a woman's creamy smooth voice sang, her fingers snapping to the rhythm of the drums.

Jackson opened the door for me as I approached it. When I walked in, the music filled my ears with pleasure and, the scent of cigars... It only reminded me of Simon... I also took notice of the smell of the alcohol here, recognizing the scent of some of the finest and most expensive types. If my throat didn't hurt so much, I would've been more than glad to try some of them.

"Double or nothing!" a man called out from the gambling table at the other end of the room.

As I gazed around, I became to feel more cautious of my surroundings. This bar covered a lot of square footage and, it was not crowded but, there was a pretty good number of people here. More than what I'm comfortable with. Good thing I was armed. So many things could go wrong when you're in a bar full of drunk, high, and gambling people. Other than that, the place seemed pretty chill.

"Let's sit over here," Jackson suggested, gesturing to the long bar table, where only a few people were sitting.

I followed him to the table, keeping my eye on everyone around me. Just being here was making me anxious for something bad to happen. A part of me felt that the same incident back at Barhama Paradise was bound to happen again.

I took a seat beside Jackson and rested my elbow on the table, "So, what was this 'very important' update you wanted to discuss with me?"

He held up a finger, telling me to wait a second as he turned to the bartender, "Two beers, please."

The bartender nodded, "No problem-"

"No, no... I'll have water, thank you." I eyed Jackson. He knows my throat has been burning since training and I don't plan on making that worse.

He furrowed his brows at me, "Are you sure? I thought you wanted a drink tonight."

"I'm sure..." I confirmed.

He nodded then whispered something to the bartender, sliding him a fairly big bill. I watched them suspiciously as the bartender pocketed the money and said, "A water for the lady and a beer for the gentlemen. Coming right up."

"What did you tell him?"

He shook his head with a smirk, "Nothing important... So, I-"

"Jackson... If you told him to sneak some alcohol on me, I'm gonna-"

His eyes went wide, "No! No... Never. I'm not crazy, you'll get your water, I promise."

I crossed my arms and mumbled, "You better not, or I'll jam my pistol up your ass..."

He chuckled, obviously not hearing what I said, mainly because of the loud music.

"What did you want to tell me?" I asked again with less patience.

He chuckled, "Someone's in a rush..."

"Well duh." I tapped the imaginary watch on my wrist. "I have to be out before 10, remember?"

He bounced his car keys in his hand, eyeing me, "Do you always let Jaden tell you what to do?" he smiled, "That doesn't sound like the Nick I know."

I rolled my eyes at that, "I'm not doing it because Jaden said so. I really want to go home and sleep, getting the healthy 8 hours the average person needs to get through the day."

He stuck his keys in his pocket and nodded, "I understand, I understand..."

"Why are you so worried about him anyway? He's irrelevant to you. You guys don't even talk to each other."

The bartender came back with our drinks, handing me my water and Jackson a glass of beer along with a fancy cup of some red iced drink with some cherries in it.

"I care about you is all..." Jackson replied to my question. "I don't want you to end up with the wrong guy, you know?"

I sipped my water, with a little eye roll, "I'm not with Jaden." I lied. "And I don't appreciate you trying to stick your nose into my business either." That part was the truth. Nosey people are one of my biggest pet peeves.

He took a good sip out of that red drink, "Ah... I know, I'm sorry about that. It just bothers me sometimes... You should try this." he slid the glass to me.

"What is it..." I raised my eyebrow at the fancy, red glass.

"It's Frozen Dracula. A house special made with red wine and slushed cherry juice. The alcohol isn't strong enough to burn your throat."

I looked at him curiously, "It sounds pretty decent." I pulled out one of the cherries from the top and gave it a lick to test its intensity. To my surprise, I could barely taste the wine. I then took a few sips from the sweet, iced beverage, noticing Jackson's smile.

"I knew you'd like it." he grinned.

I nodded and put the cup down, "It's much different from anything I'd ever tasted, fancier too, but back to the point... Aren't we here to talk about work? You've been avoiding doing that since we got here."

He smirked, "I never said we were coming to talk about work..."

"What? Yes, you did! You said-"

"No, no, no... I said I wanted to discuss something important with you."

I groaned, taking a huge sip out of my drink.

He really just brought me here to waste my time...

"So why are we actually here then?"

"To enjoy ourselves," he said. "We never got the chance to hang out in a long time as we did before. I missed those days. It's also has been really stressful lately, we could both use this type of treatment."

I glared, "Take me home."

He stared at me in slight shock, "What...? Now?"

"Yeah." I got out of my seat, "Right now... And bring me a bottle of beer or two while you're at it."

I tried to take his glass with me but he pulled it away before I could grab it, "I thought you can't handle beer."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I can handle it, just not tonight."

He chuckled and turned in his chair so that he was facing away from me, sipping the beer with this sarcastic look on his face.

I swung his chair back around, "What the hell is so funny?"

"You." he laughed.

"Oh really... I'm funny... Says the one sipping beer like a virgin grandma." I snatched the glass from him and downed the rest of his drink, feeling it burn my throat as it traveled down but I ignored it. I slammed the cup down and burped in his face on purpose. "Don't ever underestimate me like I'm some fragile bag of shit in a flower garden."

As he fanned my burp away with his hand, laughing at me, I noticed an unusual flavor in his drink. I furrowed my brows, tasting my tongue for a moment before asking, "Why does it taste like that?"

His smile faded a bit but the humor was still alive in his eyes as he turned them to the glass with a slight head tilt, "Is it not good?"

"No, it's delicious," I told him. It's been a while since I've tasted a beer so rich in flavor... That couldn't have possibly been from a regular ol' beer bottle.

"Ah..." His grin returned. "This beer is specially crafted here. It's a little more expensive but I'd say it's worth the extra change. Don't you think so?"

I nodded in agreement as the bartender made his way over to us, overhearing our conversation.

He smiled as he took Jackson's empty glass, "A lot of our beverages are specially crafted here. It's what we're known for." He walked a few feet away to place the glass in the sink before grabbing a tray and beginning to place tiny shot glasses on it, adding, "I assume this is your first time stepping foot into this house."

I watched as he returned to us, "It's that obvious?"

"It is." He told me, setting the tray in front of us. "But it's also great! After tonight, I hope to make you one of my regulars." He gestured to the empty glasses, "Care to try some samples of my personal favorites?"

A small smile grew on my face at the idea as he reached for a bottle of beer behind the counter. It'd be nice to try something different for once.

I'd better not, I'll only waste more of the precious time I could be using to rest.

Jackson noticed my slight smile before I could mask it from him and his hand gently took mine as he guided me to take my seat back on the stool, "It'll be fun." He told me.

I shook my head, refusing the tempting offer, "Of course you'll say that, you want me to stay here longer and it's not gonna work."

"Even if it's all free?" The bartender asked, pouring the drink into two of the crystal glasses.

Jackson grinned at me, "Can't go wrong with that."

I let out a steady breath through my nostrils as I shot a glance at those glasses.

In all honesty, hearing that "F" word only tempted me to want to stay even more. Who doesn't love free stuff? Besides, I was still curious as to how they get that flavor in the beer.

We still had a few hours until 10, a few samples wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, you win." I rolled my eyes followed with a smirk. "But we're leaving right after this."

"Great!" The bartender smiled as he slid me a glass, "I'm sure you're familiar with our most famous beer."

I tasted what was in the glass, realizing that it was the same beer Jackson had ordered earlier. I then asked the bartender, "How do you get that to taste so smooth and rich?" It would be nice to try this recipe at home sometime.

"The secret to a richer, sweeter tasting beverage is our hand-measured caramel malt and, we brew that particular drink with some raspberries for a more tartly taste. In this house, we don't believe in artificial colors or flavors."

Jackson smiled at the interest in my eyes, "You should try their wine. Rumors say they're the best in town."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Of course." the bartender answered. "Are you a fan of wine?"

I shrugged a bit as he moved to go grab a bottle, "A little. I like only a few brands." I said.

He began to pour a sample for me, saying, "I assume you've never had anything like ours then." He smirked at me, "Made with extreme care and aged to perfection. My uncle calls it, 'Wise Wine'".

I watched as he moved to pour a sample for Jackson as he continued, "This practice has been kept in our family for generations to provide the perfect tasting glass every time, what you'll be tasting is nearly a decade old, carefully maintained at perfect temperature."

My lips parted open as I took the glass in my hand. "Fascinating..." I whispered to myself but the bartender heard me which made him nod in agreement.

"Isn't it?" He smiled as he set the bottle somewhere behind the counter and told me, "You're looking at about one-fifty for twelve ounces of it."

Jackson whistled before putting the glass up to his lips and tossing the drink in.

I copied his actions, only giving my sample a more careful taste, making sure all my taste buds experienced its flavor.

Wow!

Not only was this wine rich, but it was also packed with flavor, free of the bitterness found in drinks I've had before that would've normally canceled that out.

Coach nodded at his emptied glass, "Definitely a ten out of ten." He glanced over at me, "What do you think?"

I turned my eyes to him with a chuckle of disbelief, "This one's a winner."

He grinned at me then turned to the bartender, "We'll take a bottle."

What?

I widened my eyes as he began to pull out his wallet.

Subconsciously, I slapped my hand over his, stopping him from buying it, "Didn't you hear the price tag on that thing?"

"It's a little pricey but I know how much you like it. It's no trouble, really."

"Jackson..."

His hand turned to gently hold mine with a friendly smile as he told me, "I seriously don't mind it. Remember, I promised I'll buy you a drink, let me do that."

He then turned to the bartender now, removing his hands from underneath mine, "Make that two, please. I'd like mine of my own as well."

I watched with a bite to my lip as the bartender reached for two bottles, "You really want to impress her." He slid the bottles towards us. I almost rolled my eyes at that until he added, "Don't worry, the second ones on the house."

Mine and Jackson's eyes both widened simultaneously, Jackson hesitating to speak before he finally said, "Oh... Uh, wow thank you so much..." He opened his wallet and paid for the one bottle.

The bartender winked as he received the cash, "Enjoy the rest of your night."

When he moved to help another customer, our eyes met each other mirroring similar expressions. Suddenly, we both smiled and cracked a chuckle.

"Wasn't expecting that." He said, watching as I grabbed for one of the bottles.

"I'm... Ecstatic." I told him, awing at the expensive drink. "I can't wait to get home and drink this baby."

He chuckled, looking down at his empty glass, "Speaking of which, would you still like me to drop you off at your place now?"

"Yeah, I..." I stopped, taking a brief look around at the place. I began to realize that I actually had fun with Jackson so far and, maybe, I wanted to stay around him a little longer. There was still plenty of time for us to hang out like we used to back then and I'd hate to have that end so soon... "No, actually I want to go check out that poker table." I figured that I'd have a little more fun before heading home tonight. Jaden wouldn't mind, besides, he was probably having a good time with some other bitch just as I'm thinking of it...

No... I can trust him... He promised me.

Jackson looked up at me with slight disbelief in my answer then he smiled, "Oh... O- okay... Okay, let's do it! You know how to play?"

"What do you think?" I cracked my knuckles as we began to approach the table.