Precious

Nick-POV

I did it. I finally accepted a date with him. Leo would have had my head if he found out, but he always gave me a little more freedom than some of the other guys. I pulled my coat closer as I walked home from the club.

Shocked.

Seriously, that was the only way to describe how I felt at present. Why had I accepted a date with Vinny Constantine. Sure, he seemed like a nice guy…They all seemed like nice guys. But Vinny was in a gang—no excuse me, an organization.

The night was pretty cold. Dawn was a few hours off and the probability that it would be a warm sunny day was looking bleak. I saw a few of my friends across the street. They had a few more hours until they called it quits for the night.

The life of a hustler was a long, hard and dangerous one. That’s why I felt I lucky to get a job at Leo’s. I wouldn’t spend my entire life as a stripper either. My building was three blocks away. I waved to a few of the guys, then continued to walk with my head down.

“Long time no see, P.” A familiar voice called.

I waved at Jay. He’s one of the first guys I meet when I moved to the city, a hustler and as jaded as they come. “Hey.”

He sat on an abandoned stoop with some other guys. The looks in their eyes told me they were just coming down from being massively stoned. “Slow down.”

Really, I wanted to go home. One, it was freaking cold. Two, I really wanted to mull over my date with Vinny. “Sorry Jay. I just got off a long shift down at Leo’s and I’m beat.”

Jay chuckled. “You are beat. I’ve seen you dance a few times, P…and I’ve already told you this. You’re one of the few guys I’d do for free.”

“Aren’t you sweet?” I teased.

Jay bit his lip and looked up from under his lashes. “You don’t know how sweet I could be to you, Precious.”

I started walking backwards. Smiling all the while. “I’ve got some kinda idea.”

He waved and I continued walking home. Working all the time provided me with enough money to move into a semi-decent building with lights and security. The on-duty security guard looked up from his TV and nodded as he saw me walk over to my mailbox.

The old lady two doors down left me a cute note telling me she made cookies. Ever since I rescued her cat from the garbage chute, she’d taken me under her wing. Tomorrow, I’d go over to her place and pick up the cookies.

As I climbed the stairs, I realized tomorrow night I didn’t have to work. Had Vinny actually known my schedule or had he just guessed? My floor was quiet. The hum of the lights above head the only noise in the hall.

My keys jingled as I unlocked the door. I walked into the darkness of my apartment, kicking the door shut. My stomach growled, but I was too tired to actually get cook anything. I needed to crash for the night.

Lucky for me, my sleep was restless with thoughts of tomorrow’s date with Vinny.
* * *
The day, actually the next afternoon, I sat on bed eating Mrs. Bean’s famous chocolate chip cookies. I had no clue what I was going to wear and I really had no clue why Vinny Constantine wanted to go out with me. Of course, I could guess why. Why was extremely easy.

I was nervous. I’d never been on a real date before. When I lived at home, I went out for burgers with a few guys and maybe a movie, but real date--never. Going to a nice restaurant like Ambrosio’s required me to wear my best clothes, which were my only nice clothes.

Since one worry out of a million was taken care of, I decided to study. Stripping was not my life’s goal, not even close, but it paid the bills and always gave me food to eat. As I flipped open the textbook, I figured I would do better on my next nursing exam, once I told Leo I needed to work fewer hours. Nursing was my passion. Helping and caring appealed to me, because just like the cookie I was eating, it reminded me of home.

Reading made the hours pass quickly. As the sun moved lower in the sky, I finally got up to get dressed. I stripped, tossing my clothes on the floor and relaxed as the scalding water ran down my body. My bottom lip got stuck between my teeth as hands worked the soap in into my skin. The sudden image of one of those stars from the WB popped into my mind and I was jerking with all my worth. My breath hitched and heat curled in my belly, then I shot my load on the shower wall and down the drain. My head rested against the shower wall.

Ready. I definitely was.

Ambrosio’s was actually too far away to walk, so splurging for a cab was the only way to get there without looking like a total mess. Walking through the door, my eyes readjusted to the sudden dim lighting, mostly candle light. I couldn’t see Vinny, despite the small size of the eatery. A waiter appeared out of nowhere. He smiled at me knowingly and showed me down an empty aisle to a private table in a cozy corner.
By the set of the shoulders, I knew it was Vinny waiting for me. He stood as I appeared in front of his table. “You look amazing.”

Nick looked Vinny over, admiring how handsome the older man looked in his black on black suit. “You too.”

He pulled my chair out, which I surprised me completely. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to.”

He just smiled at me. Shaking his head, he said, “You look so beautiful that I couldn’t stop myself.”

The night was easy going. We laughed about random things and talked about the generalities of our lives. I’d never been to a place like Ambrosio’s so I was at a loss as to what to order, so he did it, ordering the food and wine. Then, he teased me about my age.

We’d finished. Hearing Vinny’s deep chuckle, I was pleased to realize the date had been nice so far. He seemed to be enjoying it as well. Maybe, it was the wine or just the way his dark eyes looked into mine. Warmth spread throughout my body.

His face took on a serious look. His dark thick brows knotted in deep concentration. A veil of seriousness fell over his face. “What are your thoughts on family?”

“Family?” I dipped my head low, looking away. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

He licked his lips. “What do you see for yourself in the future? Do you want to get married? Have a family? What do you want?”

“I want something better than what I got from my family. ” I said honestly.

“I can’t imagine anyone treating as anything other than precious.” He stroked my hand. “ I’ve watched you for a while and it seems to me that you completely live up to the name.”

“Thanks. So, I’m assuming family is of major importance to you?”

“Definitely. I want to follow traditions, find someone nice to settle down with…You know how it is.”

Something else had just been said and I wasn’t sure of what. He paid and led me out of the restaurant. His car was waiting down the block, a sleek black automobile that matched his dark handsome features perfectly.

I gave him directions to my apartment. His ease at navigating the streets and following my directions to my rather confusing locale pushed me once again into thinking that he knew more about me than he had let on. Vinny stopped in front of my building.

There was a moment of uncertainty as I didn’t know what was going to happen. He followed me up to the stoop of my building.

“Thank you for going to dinner with me. It was a very pleasurable experience.”

“You’re welcome. If I’d known it would have been that nice, I would have gone out with you earlier.”

“I told you it was okay before, Precious. …I’d love to continue to get closer to you. Nicky, you seem like…I know you’re someone that I should keep in my life.”

Listening to him maked me breathless. Rough hands slipped under my chin, tilting my head up to gaze into his dark eyes. He lowered his lips to mine. His kiss was hot and tamed. No tongue passed my lips, but he controlled the kiss and I let him.

“Vinny--” I whispered as he pulled away from my mouth.

He kissed me again. Just a peck on the lips. “I want you, Precious...” His lips ghosted over my check, his voice tickling my ear. “And I’m going to make you mine.” I shivered, because I was already his.

TBC/?

Please Review