Billionaire's Best Friend

IV. Unbreakable Bond

Nina’s POV:

“So, you want to f**k the dude?”

I almost stumbled at my tree pose when Alice spluttered out that nonsense. I can see her still in a perfect tree position. Right now, I’m doing yoga through the video chat with Alice, my best friend.

“That’s what you get from my whole story?” I asked, feeling my body shaking slightly. Alice and I do yoga together once in a while to keep our flexibility, plus it’s healthy.

Alice went down for a chaturanga dandasana, and I groaned before copying her position. “You did say you touched his South Dakota.”

Plank pose, then shift forward slightly. “South Dakota,” I mumbled under my breath wondering how she always comes up with these terminologies. Bending my elbows to a 90-degree angle or whatever angle my body decided to give me with upper arms parallel to the floor. “You know-” I grunted lowly, as I lifted my shoulders away from the floor as I pulled my front ribs into my spine. I use all my energy to lift my upper thighs toward the ceiling as I reach my tailbone toward my heels. Gaze forward. “that was an accident.” I huffed out, feeling the burning sensation in my abdominals and triceps.

She didn’t even break a single sweat this whole time. “How did he look again?”

“So f*****g-” I stop talking, “I have a boyfriend,” I said, more of a reminder to myself.

“We all know that. You’re window shopping Nina, not purchasing the item.”

“How does Neilson feel about the way you think?” Neilson is Alice’s long term, older boyfriend.

“What he doesn’t know, won’t hurt him...or the guy I’m checking out.” She changes into an upward facing dog, and I follow, not missing a grunt. “Why is it though that when guys check out girls, it’s okay? However, when girls do it, it’s wrong. We can’t help it when our eyes wander.”

She exhaled, “You know, they say attraction is largely subconscious.” She decided to pull out her inner nerd. “Attraction to others is unavoidable, our brain is wired to process the visual information, and makes an instant judgment based on physical aspects. An attraction or crush on another is stated not to make an impact on the current relationships.”

“Still-” I can feel my chest and shoulders opening up, “It feels wrong; I shouldn’t talk to him that long.” My abdominals and hip stretch, away from stress.

Alice rolled her eyes. “Why is it wrong? You met someone whom you can connect with, and that’s fine. The only reason why you don’t feel good is that he got a d**k. If he were born with a p***y, you wouldn’t feel this way. Why does the situation have to change due to his gender?”

I blew out a puff of air, “If you’re in my situation, would you still talk to him?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“What if it makes Neilson feel uncomfortable?”

“Then, he got to learn how to deal with the discomfort. If he loves me, then he should trust me. If he forces me to stop talking with others merely because he is jealous, he needs to re-evaluate his way of thinking.”

I chuckle, a very brief one, “You are one tough nut, Alice Lee.”

I can see a beam of light on the screen. “Hi Muffin,” Alice said, before switching poses. “How was work?”

Neilson made his appearance on the screen. “Same as always.” He shrugged off his coat. “Hey, Nina.”

I switch my pose along with Alice. “How’s everything going?”

“Good.” His response is always brief, never in a chit-chatting mood. Neilson disappears down the hallway with his suitcase, probably getting himself comfortable.

“I’m serious though. If you want to talk to the dude, talk to him. Plus, you need a friend Nina.”

“You’re my friend.”

“One of your very few friends.”

“Neilson is also my friend.”

“Neilson is my boyfriend,” she declared. “If he isn’t my boyfriend, he won’t be your friend. So, he doesn’t count.”

“I got other friends.”

“Fine.”

“Fine, what?”

“If you don’t want to talk to Matt then don’t.”

There was a surge of discomfort inside my stomach - somehow feeling disappointed. “Then, I won’t.”

“So, are you going to do it?”

“Do what?”

“Message him that you’re not going to meet him tomorrow.”

“Does that make me flaky?”

She nudges a brow, “Are you making excuses?”

I went into the camel pose. “I’m not making an excuse. It’s just the earphones are expensive, and I don’t want to spend any more money on another pair.”

Alice chuckled, before entering the same pose as me. “Then, tell him in person that you don’t want to meet him anymore.”

I puff out a breath, feeling my yoga pants and sports bra dampening. “I will.”

“What are you two talking about?” Neilson entered the screen with a slightly wet blue t-shirt and sweatpants, along with a bottle of beer. He made himself comfortable on the couch, allowing his feet to rest on the table behind Alice.

Alice entered the crane pose, and I tapped out knowing I don’t have her set of skills. I sat down on the ground, grabbed a bottle, and washed out the dryness from my throat. “Nina is going to end her non-existing relationship with this guy she may or may not feel a connection towards.” There is no secret between Neilson and Alice. I knew that fact when I chose to tell Alice.

“Why?” He positioned the bottle between his lips, and I wanted to throw up when his eyes laid on Alice’s ass. I know the reason why he chooses to sit there.

“Because Kevin wouldn’t feel comfortable,” I explain.

He nods, “Understandable.”

Alice stood up straight, back facing me. “She should stop talking to someone because her boyfriend feels uncomfortable?”

Neilson gave off a lazy shrug. “Yeah. I mean if you talk to someone that makes me feel uncomfortable then I would want you to stop him.”

She positions her hands on her waist, leaning it slightly to the side. “Then, why did you talk to that girl I told you to stop talking to?” she snapped.

Neilson threw his hands in the air. “She’s my secretary! I have to talk to her.”

Alice scoff, blowing off the non-dampen hair on her face. “Yeah, keep making excuses for her. I have to talk to her; she makes all of my appointments," her voice deepens on the second part, before walking away. “She looks at you like a damn piece of meat! Does she not know you’re my piece of meat!”

“Angel! She does make all my work appointments! I have to ta-” there was a door slam, causing both of us to flinch. Neilson rests the bottle on the table, before pressing his fingers between the bridge of his nose. After some time, he remembers I’m still on the screen. He ran his hand across his mouth. “See what I have to deal with?” He gestured towards the area Alice left.

I smile, “Good luck Neilson,” I said, before turning off the connection, knowing a fierce battle is about to start.

After I finished my shower, I cleaned up the living room and started cooking dinner. The front door opened and I smiled, “Hi honey,” I said. Kevin settles down his work equipment. He leans down towards me for a kiss. “Long day?”

He sighs, running his fingers through his hair before he wraps his arms around me. “Super long, but I’m feeling better now.”

I smile, while I continue to stir the vegetables. “Go take a shower and rest. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

He nods and drags his legs up the stairs. I sigh and continue cooking. The pots and utensils continue clanking against one another as the scent of fresh food drifts into the air. Lost in thoughts, I keep moving my body like a robot until the phone buzzes.

I pick it up without looking at the screen. “Hello?”

“Nina?” His voice.

I stopped stirring and stood there. My eyes refuse to motion away from the steam drifting into the air. “Matt?”

“I was wondering if we are still meeting tomorrow?”

Footsteps roll down the stairs, and I glance over to see Kevin toddling down. He walks towards the couch and flops down. Lazily, he grabs the remote, switching on the TV. I opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer to settle it in front of him.

“Who are you talking to?” Kevin asked.

“Matt. A friend I met at the park,” I responded.

“Who’s that?” Matt question.

I look at Kevin who pressed the bottle between his lip, the body somehow tensing. “My boyfriend.”

Somehow the situation felt awkward, and I felt like I was stuck between two solid walls. I walk back towards the kitchen and continue cooking. When Matt didn’t respond, I decided to speak. “Yeah, we can meet tomorrow.”

There was still some more conversational exchange, lacking the connection we had the other day. Somehow, the butterflies refuse to defuse, bringing along the guilt. When I finished, I placed the plates on the table. “Kev, the food is re-” Kevin was fast asleep on the couch. I sigh, grab the folded blanket on the edge of the sofa and drift it on his body. Sitting on the side of the couch, I pressed my hand against his cheek and smiled faintly before I stood up to pack some lunch for him.

“You can meet him you know,” Kevin said, causing my body to freeze in place. I turn back to see him facing me, with his stomach on the couch. “Go out, meet friends.”

I settle myself beside him. “And you won’t feel uncomfortable?”

Kevin rested his head on my lap as his sweet browns drift into mine. “I trust you.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “Plus, you need friends beside Alice and Neilson.”

I place a finger in the air. “Correction. Neilson is Alice’s boyfriend, and if he isn’t then, he wouldn’t be my friend.” I repeated the words Alice said earlier.

Kevin pinched my cheek before removing himself and moving closer to the couch. I crawl underneath the blanket with him, body tangling around his. “Tell me.” He yawns, running his fingers through my hair. “Is he better looking than me?”

“Do you want words of comfort or the truth?”

He places a hand on his chest. “Oh, ouch.” He fake hurt causing me to giggle. “Give me words of comfort.”

“You are a thousand times better than him. So much more handsome. So much more intelligent. So much more-”

He pulls my face into his chest, squashing me between his biceps. “That’s enough, you’re making me feel terrible.” His chest rustled, before the silence, elope itself around us. “You don’t need my permission to make friends. I know you, Nina.”

Our legs tangled and I made small circles with my toe around his ankle. “And what am I?”

“You’re faithful,” he replied with no hesitation. He pressed a kiss on my forehead.

I look up and grin, “You’re not afraid some other guy will sweep me off my feet?”

“I’m scared the wind will sweep you off your feet. Eat more.”

We laughed, continued talking about small things until Kevin drifted into the darkness. I press a light kiss on his cheek before snuggling closer to him.

How could I ever have any doubt in our relationship? Any doubt in my emotions?

Sure, Matt is eye candy, but that was it. I’m infatuated with him, and with time that infatuation will disperse. Infatuation is an intense but short-lived passion.

However, Kevin and I - we have something different. We’ve been together through thick and thin, an unbreakable bond.