10 chapter 10

Nickola arrives to work carrying two grocery bags. She spent the night baking banana bread and decided four loaves was too much for Zara and her.

"Buenos Dias Ros. I went crazy last night," showing her the bags. "Pan de banana," she hands Ros one of the bags.

"You're killing me," she looks in the bag and inhales. "You can't keep doing this to me. How am I supposed to fit into my wedding dress?" she pouts.

"You could give it to Juan," Nickola suggest.

"That's not an option. He's lucky to even get one piece of this," Ros says with a serious look on her face.

"You're terrible," Nickola laughs.

Ros removes the aluminum container from the bag and unwraps the pre sliced bread. She takes a bite and closes her eyes as she savors the taste. "Mm so good!"

"I could give you the recipe then Juan could have his own loaf."

"And have him requesting it every weekend? No thanks," she smiles.

"Miles and I are going out for dinner tonight. I'm not sure how I feel about it though."

"What do you mean? You had a good time at the banquet right?" she takes another piece of bread from the container.

"I did. But I can't stop thinking about Herring. He's been sending me these good morning voicemails and he knows I love his accent."

"And Miles doesn't?"

"No, which is okay. We speak on the phone."

"But you don't with Herring?" Ros says trying to understand Nickola's point.

"Yes. We speak on the phone and he leaves me messages."

"Oh, so Miles needs to up his game then."

The phone rings. Ros answers and puts the caller on hold. She wraps the plastic around the bread and puts the container back in the bag.

"I just wish I felt this way for the guy my age," Nickola sighs.

"Give it time. It's early your still getting to know each other," her voice encouraging.

Nickola nods in agreement. "I guess. See ya later," she says as Ros returns to the caller.

Vanessa happily agrees to take Zara to dance class. She is more than willing to help with the possibility of Nickola in a relationship with Miles. After work Nickola heads home and changes into a pair of light blue jeans and a black shirt with a rhinestone eyed tiger. Deciding on a pair of black coach sneakers instead of flats. She adds a few strokes of blush to her cheeks and touches up her lips with a rose colored lipstick. She pulls into the olive garden parking lot where Miles is standing outside.

"Hey. They said a ten minute wait," he says checking his watch.

The buzzer vibrates. They look at the buzzer then at each other. "That was short," Nickola says.

Upon walking in she nervously scans the restaurant hoping she doesn't bump into Herring. There is a good amount of people seated but not enough to call it crowded. The host seats them at a booth. The waiter hands them menus and asks for their drink choices.

"How long has Zara been taking dance?" he ask looking at the menu.

"Only two years. She also has piano lessons on Saturdays."

"Keeping her busy," he says impressed.

"The Hispanic festival is Saturday. You wanna meet me there?"

"Sure, It'll be a first for me."

The waiter returns with a bowl of salad and breadsticks along with their drinks. A water for Nickola and a corona for Miles. The waiter grinds parmesan cheese over the salad. After jotting down their order they pass him the menus.

"Is Devaun enjoying football?" she ask scooping the salad on her plate.

"Yes he is. There's only been a couple of games. The season is just getting started," he unwraps the paper towel from the breadsticks.

"Is he your only child?"

"Yes. He's my miracle child. His mother and I struggled with fertility issues. I guess I was the problem because after the divorce it didn't take her long to get pregnant again," discontentment in his tone.

Nickola frowns, "Zara's my only one."

The waiter reappears with their order offering to grind cheese over the food to which they both decline.

"How'd you get into fixing cars?" Nickola ask as she takes a fork full of her lasagna.

"When I was about fifteen I would help my uncle fix cars. He worked in a junk yard and was always working on something. That first time we got the engine running on my mom's 82 Cadillac Seville I knew that's what I wanted to do," his smile dreamy.

Miles goes on to tell her about his first car and how he proudly did most of the work on it. The waiter appears a final time with the bill. Miles pulls out his credit card from his wallet and they walk to the front to pay.

"Thanks for dinner," Nickola says.

"Sure. Next Sunday the patriots are playing. I know it's late notice but I got two tickets if you can go."

Her eyes go wide. "I should be able to. I'll find out if Zara can stay with her grandparents and let you know."

"Okay," he nods.

=====================================================================

Herring pulls up to REX studios. He takes the elevator to the second floor. When he gets to the room Bronze is in the recording booth. There are two guys at the switch board and two ladies sitting on the sofa looking at their phones. The blonde haired blue eyed girl peeks over her phone to look at Herring. He sits on the sofa at the edge of the cushion and she takes the opportunity to sit beside him.

"Your Herring right?" she asks.

"Yeah."

"I'm Krista. Have you and Bronze known each other for a while?"

"I've known him for quite some years," he rubs his hands through his hair.

Bronze emerges from the booth.

"What's up?" Bronze says as he pounds fists with Herring.

"Not much."

"We bout to order some food you want something?" He says typing into his phone.

"I'm good," he shakes his head.

Bronze orders a few pizzas and hot wings.

"A yo Case we got time to put my boy on this track?" Bronze asks the guy wearing the black fitted cap at the soundboard. Case gives a nod and plays back what was just recorded. Everyone bops their heads to the beat. "This gone be my single right here," he says satisfied.

"I like it," Herring says.

"Remember when you use to come visit your pops and we be in the basement rapping," Bronze smiles.

"And your mum would say, if you don't turn that music down I'm going to throw that radio out," in his best American female accent. They laugh at the memory.

"Krista why don't you go down and wait for the food," Bronze demands.

She gives him a look and rolls her eyes before leaving.

"Yo she been asking bout you since you first came to the studio," he says to Herring.

"What!" he says surprised. "Why is she always here?"

"She works at the front desk."

"Did you tell her I was going to be here?" Herring ask.

"Nah, I ain't tell her. She just been hanging around hoping you'd show up."

"I've got my eye on someone else. An older woman," he lightly scratches at his eyebrow.

Bronze raises his eyebrows, "like how old?"

"Fifteen years."

"Damn! What you just trying to hit it?" He smiles.

"No," he frowns. "At least not right away. I really like her."

"Hey, age ain't nothing but a number," Bronze shrugs.

Krista walks in with the food. Herring steps into the recording booth while the others eat. Case plays back the whole song with Herring's added part.

"You sound good," Krista says to Herring.

"Thanks."

Herring and Bronze relive more moments from the past while everyone eats.

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