Chapter 209

Nicolas

I expected some kind of confrontation with Nikki about Kevin but I didn’t expect what I got. I could see Nicol was getting angrier by the second, this was not the girl that moved in here a few moths ago and it must get to Nicol a hell of a lot. I quickly thought of how my mother would have handled a situation like this, she was always the calm one, that allowed you to feel your feelings but she was also all about manners, so I went with what my mom would have said “If you calm down and greet both your mom and me then we can talk but not before you drop that attitude.” I allowed her her outburst now we need to bring her back to earth and make sure she knows we are still in charge in this house and her attitude won’t get her anywhere.  Nikki didn’t move she just looked at me clearly, she wanted to throw a bigger tantrum but she was thinking about what I said.  I could see Nicol was on the brink of ripping into Nikki but I touched her hand and just shook my head. Nikki was still standing at the entrance of the kitchen both of us staring at each other.  She had another thing coming if she thinks I’ll crack first that’s not my style, I wouldn’t be this successful if I cracked at the tip of a hat.

I could see the fight leaving her body slowly but surely, eventually she walked over to Nicol “Hi mom.”  “Nikki” Nicol said she was clearly not over Nikki’s attitude, then Nikki walked over to me hugged me and said “Hi dad.”  “Hi sweet pea. How was your day?”  I asked her as she took a seat.  I could see the shoulders tighten up again.  “It was good until it was time to come home.” Isabella but Nikki’s grill cheese sandwich in front of her, it was apparently the only thing she wanted to eat after school, I would have switched things up a bit but not Nikki the same thing every day.  “Thank you, Isabella.”  Awesome she remembered her manners which means she calmed down.  “Sweet Pea you remember that women that bothered us with our father daughter date?”  “The one at the restaurant?”  “Yes.”  “The one that said you where her boyfriend?”  “Yes her.”  “Yes, I remember her but what does she have to do with what happened today?”  “I’ll get there just give me a minute.”  She took a bite of a grilled cheese still looking at me expecting an explanation.  “Well sweet pea that same women interrupted your mom and me at a restaurant today but this time she had the paparazzi with her and they took pictures of the two of us.  I also did something I’m not proud of I yelled at her in front of everyone in the restaurant and the paparazzi got that on video.”  “Yes, I’m still not getting what this has to do with me and Kevin?”  “I’m getting there.”  She sat back in her chair trying to not look impatient with me, just to be clear she didn’t manage that very well.

“Now we are getting to you and Kevin.  I knew the paparazzi will be at the school again and I don’t want them to take pictures of Kevin.”  “Why not you asked him to protect me against them, did you change your mind now?”  “Nikki stop this right now.”  Nicol said.  “But mom I don’t understand.”  “And I don’t understand how we could have a talk about entitlement last night and then today you do exactly the same thing.”  “I just want to understand mom.”  “You should know by now when we do something there is a reason behind it.”  “But what is the reason?”  “You won’t always now the reason sweet pea but this time I will give you one.”  I interrupted because I’m very sure if we take Nicol’s blood pressure right now it will be through the roof.  Nicol got up from the kitchen table.  “I can’t handle this right now.”  She said as she walked away.

Fuck Nicol is upset did I really handle this whole situation like I should have, but Nikki was still sitting at the table still waiting for me to explain even after her mother talked to her about entitlement.  “Well sweet pea, let me ask you something.  Would you like to be on the front page of every paper in New York if it was Kevin that was chased by the paparazzi?  Will you like it when they follow you around just because you are going out with Kevin?”  she got quiet and looked at everything except me.  “I’m waiting sweet pea; would you like it?”  “No probable not.”  “Then why would you put Kevin in that situation?”  “But dad you asked him to look after me to protect me against everyone.”  “I did, but that was to get him to stop bullying you, he did in fact the two of you are boyfriend and girlfriend now, his not bullying you anymore which means he doesn’t have to go out with you if the paparazzi is there.”  “Is it only if they are there?”  “Yes, sweet pea if they are not there, he can walk you to the car I just don’t want to put him in an awkward position.”  She got quiet took another bite of her sandwich thinking.  She finally said “Okay it makes sense.”  “Well, I don’t do things that doesn’t make sense sweet pea.”  “You think mom is angry with me?”  “Yes, sweet pea you better apologize to her but remember an apology is nothing without changed behavior.” “I know and mom did speak to me last night and then today I went and did the same thing.  I don’t know what’s going on with me dad?  I get angry so quickly these days?” “You’ll have to ask your mom about that sweet pea, I’m no good when it comes to women hormones.”  “Hormones?”  “Yes, sweet pea it’s probable your hormones."