Jason's Story Ch. 20

Happy New Year everyone! I really tried to have something ready for you by Christmas but alas...it wasn't meant to be. Took longer to get this one together, but I'm pretty satisfied with my efforts and I do hope that you enjoy it.

Just another quick note - believe it or not, I'm still getting comments posted about how offensive Nigha's name is. For hopefully the last time, Nigha is pronounced just like the word 'night' with an 'uhh' sound replacing the 't' sound at the end. 'G' and 'H' together is silent in any word in the English language that I can think of.

Thanks so much to all of my supporters for the wonderful comments and emails. I appreciated each and every one of them, and I appreciate you.

Now...on with the show, and please vote/rate and comment!

*

The week before the wedding:

***Monday***

She pulled up to her office right around 12:30 pm; the time that Jason started to look at lunch options every day, so she was right on time.

She greeted the security guard, and got onto the elevator to get up to their floor. Once she left the elevator; she noticed that Jason's receptionist Riley wasn't at his desk. Since she didn't need any clearance anyway; she just decided to let herself into his office.

**

"Oh Gina! This is perfect. I knew I was making the right choice when I picked you," Jason exclaimed before pulling the woman into an intimate embrace.

Gina laughed a little before replying, "I've told you that so many times before; it's about damn time you came to your senses..."

Gina's remaining words froze on her tongue when she saw Nigha in the doorway; standing stock still, with a slightly mortified expression on her face. Although Gina had never met her; she and Jason had stayed in contact, and she'd seen numerous pictures.

Nigha cleared her throat; knowing that it was too late to leave and pretend that she hadn't just walked into this awkward situation.

Gina pulled back from Jason a bit and made movements to indicate that they had company, and when he turned and saw Nigha; he looked as guilty as she thought he was.

"Uh, Nigha, what are you doing here?" he scrambled to ask while he gathered some paperwork on his desk, and hastily stuffed it into one of his desk drawers.

"Umm, well; I stopped by to see if you had plans for lunch, and I wanted to pick your brain a little about your bachelor party plans, but I see that you're busy so maybe we can set up a time tomorrow..."

"Nonsense; lunch won't work, but would you like to grab some dinner after I get off?"

Nigha looked at him like he'd grown another head, and then looked into the cerulean eyes of the beautiful woman standing so close to him.

"OH! How rude of me. Nigha this is Gina; a friend of mine from Atlanta, and Gina, this is Nigha..."

"I know exactly who you are," Gina said as she walked around the desk to meet Nigha as she began walking toward her. "It's a pleasure to meet you; Jason has told me so much about you" she said with a smile.

"Well, I've heard a few things about you two; all good, and all true from what I can see," Nigha replied.

Nigha struggled to hold her composure, and to act as though the moment that she'd walked in on didn't have her burning up inside.

"So, 6:00 then Jason?"

"That'll work just fine," he replied before sitting back down at his desk.

"Great; I'll meet you in the lobby at 6, and it was nice to meet you Gina," she indicated with a smile that was a little less than genuine.

"Likewise Nigha; I hope to see you again soon," she said with a mischievous smile, that made Jason look over and up at her with an inquisitive look on his face.

Nigha walked out of the office mortified, but had to quickly regain her composure when she saw that Riley had returned to his desk.

"Hi Mrs. Stevens; is everything alright?"

"Yes Riley, everything's fine. You have a great day OK," she called over her shoulder as she walked toward the elevator.

As she rode down in the elevator; she pictured the painfully beautiful woman in Jason's office, and the way his mother talked about her. It looked like he was moving on after all, and although she'd said that was what she wanted for him; now she didn't feel so sure.

She exited the elevator, with a sick feeling in her chest as she walked to her car. She didn't know what to make of her swirl of emotions, but she did know that relief at him going on with his life wasn't among them.

***

"Is it just me, or did Nigha have the impression that you and I are together?" Gina asked Jason.

"It did seem that way, but believe it or not; that assumption is easier to deal with than her knowing the truth before I'm ready."

"So you think this will do the trick? I mean if you were just trying to get a female without so much complication; this would be a slam dunk, but after all that you and she have been through..."

"It HAS to work," he interrupted. "There are no other options. She belongs with me, and hopefully this will bring her one step closer to making her see that."

"Well, if I may make a suggestion; I would continue letting her draw her own conclusions about you and me. From what I saw in her eyes; regardless of what she says, she ain't ready to let you go just yet," Gina said with a gleam in her eyes.

"You suggesting that I just lie to her?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. I'm suggesting that you act like nothing was out of the ordinary today. She'll probably be too proud to ask you, and if you don't volunteer any info; she'll drive herself crazy trying to figure it out. It's perfect for what you need," she said excitedly, clapping her hands.

"Hmmm, maybe."

***

Nigha was waiting for him in the lobby when he exited the elevator, and he smiled when he saw her. She smiled back, but it seemed forced; even from a distance.

"So, where would you like to go?"

"I'm dying for a good steak and some grilled asparagus; how about Bonefish?"

"That sounds great" he replied, and followed her out the front doors.

"Cool, I'll meet you over there, and I did a call-ahead; so just ask for the Branson/Stevens table if you beat me."

He did make it to the restaurant before she did, and by the time she made it inside; he'd already ordered a drink. She noticed that he'd taken off his jacket, and opened the top two buttons of his shirt.

He smiled when he saw her, and stood up when she went to take her seat.

"OK Maid of Honor; as Best Man, I'm sure you know that I'm limited in what I can actually tell you. As I'm sure there are some top secret facts about the Bachelorette party that you can't tell me. So, fire away and we'll see if I can give you what you're looking for," he said with a smile as he sipped his drink.

"Understood. So, are you guys going out of town for the party?"

"Yes," was his one word answer. He looked to her for the next question.

"So, doing the one word answers are we? OK, where are you guys going?"

He smiled and shook his head, "as much as I'd like to tell you, I can't do that. That, and most of the bachelor party details are covered under the Bro Code. Sorry Nigh."

"Well, I..."

They were interrupted by their waiter, and Nigha placed her drink order. She and Jason both ordered dinner, and when the waiter went back to place their order; she went on to finish her statement.

"Well, I'm not really surprised, but I'm just hoping that we don't cross paths at our respective parties."

"Meh, worse things have happened. And I take it you and the girls will be skipping town also?"

"Maybe" she answered with a chuckle before taking a sip of her watermelon martini. "So how are your parents enjoying the girls?"

"Oh goodness; I'm starting to think that they're going to just move in with me and relocate their business. My mom is over the moon about those babies. I have to make deals with her to actually spend some time with MY children," he said while laughing.

"You hush," she laughed. "Your condo is huge, you've got the room."

"There isn't enough room in the world for me to be living with my parents again; even if they have moved in with me. So, are you all set for the wedding?"

"Pretty much, thanks for the time off boss," she replied while tipping her drink to him.

"Anything for my number one employee," he replied with a tip of his drink. "So, where are you guys going again?"

"Nuh uhh! I ain't tellin you nada," she joked while he laughed out loud. "I can only hope we won't run into each other.

He looked at her seriously; noticing that this was the second time she'd voiced this concern. Curiosity was getting the better of him, so he decided to quell it and just ask his question.

"Just what worries you about running into us?"

She was busy eating her dinner, and barely registered what he'd said. "Hmmm?"

"Well, it's the second time you've mentioned not wanting to run into us, and I'm just curious as to the reason behind it?"

"What? Oh, do you really think Kane really wants to see Bria on his last night out as a single man with the boys? Or that Bria wants to see him on her last single night out with her girls?"

'Or that I trust myself around you while I'm under the influence of alcohol?' she thought to herself while she took a sip of her drink.

"Besides, it'sBria's bachelorette party. What did you think the reason was?"

He thought for a moment while he finished chewing his food. "That maybe you wouldn't trust yourself around me in that setting..."

His eyes grew wide as Nigha choked on something.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" he asked as he started to get out of his seat.

She was coughing so hard, her eyes started to water, and she couldn't stop him like she wanted to. He came around the table; squatted down next to her, and lightly tapped her on the back with one hand while he held her hand with the other. She grabbed the water in front of her and took a few hesitant sips, and then the coughing calmed down a bit.

"Honey, are you ok?" he asked as he looked at her face.

When she looked at him; she felt her stomach warm and flutter, and the situation was compounded when he wiped the tears from her cheeks. She was stunned silent for a moment, and instinctively placed her hand over his and held it for a moment.

Time seemed to stop in that moment while they just looked into each other's eyes and held hands. Nigha broke the moment with a cheeky smile, but her eyes told Jason all that he needed to know. He was getting closer and closer to his goal.

"Don't flatter yourself Branson," she said with a shaky laugh while taking his hand down from her face. "I trust myself in any setting with you."

He shook his head and chuckled. "I would say I doubt you, but I didn't get my medical degree and if you cough up your other lung; I won't be able to fix it."

She laughed out loud at that statement, and coughed a few more times. He returned to his seat after he was sure that she was alright.

They chit-chatted a bit more throughout the meal and neither one gave up any information about their respective parties. They parted on good terms, and resigned themselves to the fact that they wouldn't see each other until the wedding.

****Tuesday****

While Bria was at work; Nigha was at her place packing up some clothes for the surprise trip. Bria had confirmed that Jason was taking Kane somewhere, but Jason wouldn't tell Kane where they were going. Jason had been kinder than she'd been to Bria; she hadn't even told Bria they were taking a trip. Bria loved surprises, and this would be her wedding gift to her sister. The flights were booked for Wednesday afternoon, and their parents had splurged on first-class tickets for their daughters. Nigha had paid half the price of each of the 6 bridesmaids' tickets.

She had a sneaky suspicion that Jason would be taking Kane and his boys to Vegas, but figured that there was no way that they'd run into each other. Too much to do in Vegas to worry about that, and besides; the girls would probably want to do a bunch of girly things (much to her chagrin), and the guys would probably be at strip clubs.

She took Bria's bags home with her, and she'd just locked the door and started to walk down the hall to take Bria's bags to her room. A knock at the door interrupted her actions, and when she answered it; she was greeted by a young man with a large envelope. Her heart sank a little, but it wasn't unexpected. She signed for the envelope, and after locking her door; she sat at her desk and pulled out the paperwork.

The document contained all of the details that she and Brett had worked out in the divorce, and he'd signed them. They would keep their individual retirement accounts; split their liquid assets 50/50, and she gave Brett 75% ownership of their rental properties, and complete ownership of the home and business that they shared. There would be no spousal support on either side, and they would share custody of the boys. It had been almost 2 years since she had the twins, and some days it seemed like time had stood still, and others; like it had flown by.

Here she sat with the end of her marriage in her hands; she was officially a single woman, and although she knew it was for the best, it was still bitter and not the least bit sweet. She looked at her left hand, and removed her wedding band and engagement ring, and placed it in the envelope with the folded divorce decree. She walked to her bedroom; wiping the tears from her eyes, and put the envelope in her safe.

"I'll always love you Brett," she whispered before locking the safe. "Fuck it, I'm going." She hastily grabbed her purse and keys and walked out of the door. She was a woman on a mission.

***

She sat outside the familiar office, warring with herself as to whether or not she should go inside. After she noticed her white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel of the car that she'd turned off five minutes before, she decided that she was definitely going inside. She had to see him one-on-one, and this was as good a time as any.

"Mrs. Stevens..." his secretary said in surprise as she walked in the door.

"Hi Michelle. Let's just go with Nigha, alright? Is he in his office?"

A visibly stunned Michelle nodded her head in response, and Nigha gave her a reassuring smile.

"Is he alone, or is he in a meeting?"

"He's alone...I'm sure you can just go right in Mrs. Steve...umm, Nigha."

"Thanks Michelle, you have a great day sweetie," Nigha said over her shoulder as she walked back toward his office.

She stopped in front of his door and hesitated before knocking. She exhaled a big breath and knocked while opening the door.

"Brett? You got a minute?"

He was sitting at his desk looking over some paperwork, and he looked up at her standing in his doorway. She felt small in that moment, it was odd to be sure, but she felt that she needed to see him. There was silence between them for what seemed like an eternity before he shook his head a little and motioned for her to have a seat.

"Yeah babe, umm Nigha, come on in."

To her credit, Nigha didn't even hitch on the fact that Brett had just slipped up and called her 'babe' like he always had. She didn't want to make this any more awkward than it already was. As she made her way over to the seat, she caught a look at the paperwork that he'd just been looking over. It was his copy of their divorce decree, and when she saw his signed copies; she realized that it helped her to close this chapter of her life, an end to the book that was their life as man and wife. It made her heart sink a little, but she already knew that it would.

"So what brings you by? Is everything alright?" He looked at her hand and noticed the imprint and tan line of the wedding band that she'd obviously just taken off.

She looked at him, and wondered if she could put her thoughts into words that would make sense.

"I just needed...I thought I...I wanted..." She blew out a breath, words were failing her worse than she could've possibly imagined.

"I just miss my best friend, and I needed to see him today of all days," she said as she looked down at her lap and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm not trying to dredge anything up, and I know that I probably shouldn't have come, and call me crazy but I just had this deep need to see you, today...I'm sorry I'm rambling aren't I?"

He looked at her and smiled before replying.

"Well," he looked upward thoughtfully "maybe just a smidge." He put his forefinger and thumb together to illustrate the point, and they both shared a laugh. "To be honest with you, I was thinking a lot about you too. I'm glad you stopped by."

She let out a breath that she didn't realize that she'd been holding, and made a big show of wiping her brow once she knew that she'd been caught.

"Brett I don't know what's supposed to happen now, this is something we never planned for. I just...I guess I just wanted to make sure that you're alright. You are alright, aren't you?"

"I'm in a much better place than I was 2 years ago, that's for sure." He looked over at her and decided to amend his statement. "I'll be fine Nigha, and it really does mean a lot to me that you were thinking about me. How about you, are you alright?"

She had to think for a minute, was she alright?

"I'm not sure right now, but if you're alright then I feel like it might be acceptable for me to be alright too, at some point. My main concern is that you're able to find happiness again. I don't mean to sound like I'm using you to let myself off the hook..."

"Nigha, I don't think that at all. You participated in something deplorable, and I'm not going to apologize for feeling that way, but I've moved past that to the point where I'm not angry about it every time I look at you. I'm at the point where I've been dating, and there's some promising things lined up in my future. I'm also past the point where I don't know whether to strangle you or kiss you when I see you...," he cleared his throat, realizing that he might've said too much when he saw her looking down at her hands. "I just want you to know that I forgive you."

She looked up at him quickly then, and tears started to stream down her face. This wasn't what she'd come for, and certainly not what she'd expected. Her gratitude was written all over her face.

"I know you Nigha, I still do. I know that you won't go into his part in all of this, but I know that he played a pivotal role in what happened. I also know that you feel that you don't really deserve to be happy, and that's something that you're going to have to work through on your own, but I need you to know that Iwant you to be happy.

I wanted you miserable for a long time, and you were, but now I'm ready for us both to get our second chance. Even though I've accepted the fact that I'm never going to find someone like you, or love anyone like I love you; I think there's still love out there for me and I may have already stumbled across it. And even though it does still make me angry on some level; Iknow that there's love already waiting for you. I may still want to punch him in the face, but I knew on some level when I first met him, that he was in love with you."

She couldn't stop the tears, and he came around the desk to stand in front of her. She looked up at him, and he put his hand out in front of her to help her stand. She took it, and when she stood; he pulled her to him and hugged her. As he wrapped his arms around her, she felt a huge tension in her body start to melt away. She'd pushed down the hope of ever getting Brett's forgiveness so far, that she didn't realize that it was something that she really needed. She was floored when he gave it to her so freely. Her body shook in his arms, and he rubbed her back as she squeezed him around the waist.

"Brett, I hope you know that I never meant to hurt you. I love you too much for that," she cried into his polo shirt. "I miss you so much."