Page 36 of Not Part of the Plan
Niko sipped the tea and caught the flavors of lemon and basil. “Fine, but if you’re disappointed with what I shoot, you and Emma only have yourselves to blame,” he warned.
“Let’s talk about this ‘subpar’ work you plan to deliver,” Phoebe suggested firmly.
An hour later, Niko felt surprisingly unburdened. He’d spilled his guts to Phoebe, and she’d listened without judgment until he’d finished. They’d switched to wine halfway through their chat and took it out onto the porch to enjoy the last of the afternoon light.
“So, if you’re sure you’ll be okay with whatever shots I can give you, I’d be happy to do it,” he finished lamely.
“You know what I think?” Phoebe asked, patting his hand.
“That I’m blowing all of this out of proportion and I should just suck it up and pick up a camera?”
She shot him the look of a mother unimpressed. “No. I think that stalls in creativity are real, and they rarely result in a complete loss of skill.”
“That’s basically Emma’s assessment,” Niko told her.
“Hmm,” Phoebe hummed, her eyebrows winging up.
“Oh, right. I’m not supposed to tell anyone we’re hanging out. Something about the Beautification Committee.”
“Really?” Phoebe’s question was laced with maternal glee.
“You seem to say a lot with very few words.”
“You’re spending time with Emma and confiding in her. I didn’t realize that you two knew each other so well.”
“We’re getting to know each other. Well, I’m trying to get to know her,” he amended. “She’s trying to make sure I stay in the friend box.”
“Interesting.”
“Now you’re looking at me like the checkout lady at the grocery store and the bank president.”
Phoebe topped off his wine glass. “I need to get on Facebook and catch up with everything I’ve been missing. It’s going to be fun to see how this plays out.”
“Uh. Okay.”
“So she wants to be friends?”
“Just friends. I’m not her type,” Niko explained and wondered why he was pouring his heart out to a woman he’d only met on a handful of occasions.
“What is her type?” Phoebe wondered.
“Stable, secure, in it for the long haul. Monogamous.”
“And you’re…?”
“I’m ‘dangerous’ and just out for a ‘good time.’ So Emma’s put me in this position where, if I want to be around her, it’s strictly as friends, and since she’s been very clear about her intentions, if I pressure her to go beyond friends I’m…”
“An asshole?” Phoebe supplied.
He grinned, seeing where her sons got a very large chunk of their personalities. “Exactly. I like her. A lot. I like spending time with her, and I’m interested in being a hell of a lot more than friends, but I can’t give her permanent.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see how they orchestrate this,” Phoebe murmured, half to herself.
“Sometimes I feel like this entire town is speaking a different language,” Niko muttered.
“Oh, honey. You have no idea.”
“So any advice you’d care to share in either of my situations?”
