Whatever It Takes

This story starts out a little slow, but keep with it and it'll be worth your while! Happy reading!

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College life is a bitch. There's endless, mundane lectures, papers that take weeks to write, and internships that virtually eliminate any possibility of a social life. However, being a grad student, Nicole had finally managed to find the perfect balance between work, school, and friends. Not that she went out all that often. In high school, Nicole belonged to a few different cliques, and never managed to make any friends that she felt the need to stay in touch with after graduation. The same situation applied to her college life. During the weekend, if she had a spare hour, Nicole would occasionally go to one of the many local bars with a few girlfriends, but it's not like she really planned to stay in contact with them after college. They would graduate, go their separate ways, and head off into the world to become successful working women. For most of her life, Nicole knew she wanted to become a journalist. She was naturally very curious and often described as nosy, not always knowing when to mind her own business. She figured becoming a journalist would be the perfect way to put her investigative skills to good use. Being an intern for the same newspaper for 2 years, Nicole knew there would be a job waiting for her after graduating. However, she had dreams for something bigger and better. New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine....the list goes on.

Of course, being as aspirational as she was, Nicole rarely had time for romance, and at the age of 22, she had never really been in a serious relationship, and was still a virgin. Not that she minded. She was determined to be a woman dedicated to her career, and a relationship would only serve as a distraction.

Sometimes, during study breaks, she would read erotic stories on her laptop. Nicole's primary focus for the past three weeks was the story that she was hoping would establish her as a credible journalist. During her 2 years at the paper, she was mainly given assignments that involved covering local events like concerts, benefits, and school openings. It was boring as hell, but she was in no position to complain. But this story-this story would get her name out there, open up doors that would get her right where she wanted to be.

It happened one night when she stumbled upon a news article about William Harrison II- billionaire business man who got his fortune from the oil and coal businesses. Normally Nicole wouldn't have paid too much attention to the details of the article, but she couldn't help but notice that there was something odd about the location of Harrison's next mining project. She recognized the name as being that of a virtually unknown hot spot in South America that was home to thousands of rare species and protected by the government. The only explanation Nicole could think of that would justify Harrison being able to disturb such an important area is the bribing of a government official, and it would have to be A LOT of money. Journalist instincts kicking in, Nicole immediately began doing research, sending emails, making calls, etc. She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

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"Shit, shit, shit!" Nicole loudly swore as she ran as fast as her high heeled feet would allow, holding a stack of papers that consisted of her drafts, research, and presentation. Today was the day she was going to pitch her story to the editors. There were still many details that she was missing, and the finished product would probably take her a good month or so, but the framework was all there; she just needed their approval to continue working on it. Unfortunately, she had spent hours doing as much research as possible resulting in her subconsciously pushing her snooze button every time the alarm clock went off, and waking up a good 30-45 later than she had intended to.

"So close..." she thought, seeing the building at the end of the street. She was so focused on the building that she failed to notice the stranger walking in her direction that was too busy texting to notice her.

Oomph!

Papers flew everywhere. "NO! God, why me!" she thought out loud as the stranger came to his wits and realized he should probably help retrieve the stray documents. "God, I'm so sorry. I should have been paying attention. Are you alright?" he inquired. Nicole had pretty much reached her breaking point. "No! I'm not okay! I've spent days working on this presentation, and now I'm running late, and they'll probably never approve my story, and I'll probably spend the rest of my career interviewing drunk, stoned assholes at concerts!!!" she screamed, bursting into tears and causing a bit of a scene. "Okay, here's what's going to happen," said the stranger, "I'll take these papers, walk you to your office, and explain what happened."

"If you think that's going to help me one bit-"began Nicole

"Sh, just listen to me."

Nicole was too frustrated and stressed to bother arguing. At this point she was pretty much resigning to her fate. "Alright," she said, "Whatever, my office is right up the road. Just follow me."

While walking, Nicole took a moment to actually look at this stranger who made promises of making everything better. Although she hated to admit it, he was quite handsome. He was tall, around 6ft (a great deal taller than her petit 5'2") and had a great body. Not too muscular, but it definitely looked as though he spent a good amount of time at the gym. He had dark curls that went just past his ears, and beautiful, intense green eyes. However, the way he held himself seemed somewhat arrogant, like he had the ability to do whatever he wanted to and get away with it. He may be handsome, but Nicole couldn't stand cocky guys like this one.

"Phillip", he said suddenly.

"What?"

"My name's Phillip" he said, eyes focused straight ahead

"Oh, of course. My name's Nicole."

"Nice to meet you." He turned to her, and flashed a brilliant smile that would make any girl swoon. Nicole didn't respond.

A few minutes later, they reached the office. "After you." Said Phillip, holding to door open. "Thanks," Nicole murmured, not exactly conveying any sort of appreciation.

"So, who do I talk to?"

"The editors. They should be waiting for me through that door." Said Nicole, pointing to the meeting room.

"Alright then, be right back." Said Phillip, shooting her a wink before confidently swaggering into the room.

Nicole wanted to drop dead as she watched the doors close behind him.They're going to fire me, she thought to herself. I bet they're all in there right now laughing about what a total moron I am, and coming up with the most embarrassing way possible to let me go.Naturally, being a pessimist, Nicole could only come up with worst case scenarios.

About 5 minutes later, Phillip came out sporting a huge grin. "You're good to go," he said, "I took the liberty of passing out what I assumed to be copies of your draft, and I explained what happened on the way here. They were very understanding, I don't get what you were so worried about." He said, acting as though he did this sort of thing on a daily basis. "But listen, I really do feel bad. Let me take you to dinner tonight. What time do you get off?"

"Well, 5:30, but I don't think," she began

"Alright, I'll pick you up at 7. What's your favorite kind of food?"

"Japanese, but I really shouldn't,"

"Great! I know an excellent sushi place. Give me your address and number." He said, handing her a pen and piece of scratch paper.

"Oh, alright," she agreed, resigning to the fact that he probably wouldn't leave her alone until she said yes. Besides, ONE date wouldn't kill her, even if it wouldn't be her ideal way of spending the night.

"Awesome. See you tonight."

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As Nicole left her office, she couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief that her day was finally over. Not that anything bad had happened, but it had been a little strange, especially after Phillip left, leading her to wonder what he had said to the editors. She walked right into the room after he had left, and the editors seemed more than willing-even excited- to listen to her proposal. After she was done, they told her to get started right away and to not worry about anything else for the next month, and to get started right away. She wasn't complaining, but it definitely wasn't the workday she was expecting.Guess I better get ready,she thought, starting her trek home thinking about all the things that would probably go wrong.He's not even my type. What if this is all just some sort of joke?she wondered.

Walking into her apartment, she was immediately greeted by her roommate, Leah. "Hey Hon, how was work?" asked Leah.

"Meh, same old, same old." Nicole responded, too worried about her upcoming date to go into details about her day. Nicole and Leah had been friends since they got jobs at the same restaurant senior year of high school. They were lucky enough to get into the same university and had been roommates ever since. "Hey, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go lay down for a bit." Nicole called over her shoulder, heading to her room and closing the door.Is it even a date? Am I thinking too much about it? Why am I so worried? I'm just going out with him once, then I'll never seen him again, she thought, getting ready to pull her hair out.She flopped onto her bed, considering telling Phillip she had spontaneously caught the flu.That sounds so stupid!She had no experience with guys, let alone guys as attractive as Phillip, and was absolutely positive she would find some way to embarrass herself.Oh well, let's just get this over with.With that, she began taking off her clothes and hopped in the shower.

20 minutes later Nicole was out of the bathroom, all cleaned up and smelling like raspberries and vanilla.Now, what do I wear?With the price of textbooks, student loans, and rent, she never had the budget to buy nice clothes, the kind she would stare at in store windows on her way home.Guess I'll have to make due.She ended up picking out a pair of black skinny jeans, a purple tunic with a belt, and a pair of high heeled boots.I hope this is alright,she thought, walking over to the mirror. She examined her face. Her deep brown eyes and naturally rosy cheeks never required the use of much make up, but she had always been self-conscious about the way she looked. The only thing she felt comfortable with was her hair. It was long, dark, sleek, shiny, and frequently complemented on by strangers. She began applying her makeup, foundation, lipstick, eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. Satisfied with the result, she took one last look in the mirror, sprayed on little bit of perfume, and walked into her living room to await her escort.

Knock, knock, knock.

Well, here goes nothing."Bye Leah. I'll be back in a few hours," Nicole called over her shoulder, dashing out the front door and bumping right into Phillip. "Oh! Sorry, guess I really do need to start watching where I'm going"

"A little excited, aren't we?" asked Phillip, taking note of how great Nicole looked.

"N-no, it's just...look, can we just get this over with," she said, blushing as she led the way out of the apartment building.

Outside the building, a taxi was waiting to take them to the restaurant. Nicole internally chastised herself for already acting like an immature teenage girl. She glanced up at Phillip, completely amazed at the fact that a guy like him would ask out a girl like her.Maybe he really does just feel bad about what happened.

"I'm really glad you said yes, although it's not like I would've left you alone if you said no." joked Phillip

"I thought as much," mumbled Nicole, under her breath.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing. I'm glad I said yes too." She said, forcing a smile.

"You don't look very glad. Look, I'm sorry if you felt forced to go out with me tonight, but it really did look like you needed a break." He reasoned.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sure tonight will be fun."

"I guarantee it" he said, as they arrived at the restaurant. "After you."

They walked into the restaurant, arm in arm, and were promptly seated and given menus. Nicole's eye nearly popped out of her head. "Jesus! One salad is 30 bucks! I'm sorry, but would it be possible to eat somewhere else?" she inquired.

"Why, the prices aren't that bad. And really, it doesn't matter. In fact, let's both order the most expensive thing on the menu." He said, laughing.Cocky bastard,she thought, staring down at her lap. He ordered for both of them, and for a good five minutes nothing was said between the pair as Nicole kept her eyes down, eager to get the heck out ASAP. "So, how'd you presentation go?" asked Phillip.

"Fine." She responded, succinctly.

"That's good to hear. I'm sure your article will be fantastic. What is it about?"

"Some rich bastard."

"I see. And why is this rich bastard more interesting than others?"

"Bribery."

Phillip just about had enough. "What the hell is you problem?" he asked, taking Nicole off guard.

"I'm sorry?" she said, not bothering to hide her confusion at Phillip's sudden personality change.

"I'm trying to be nice, I'm trying to get to know you, I'm trying to make sure you have a good time and all you're doing is giving me the cold shoulder."

"I'm sorry." Was all she said, appearing to be on the verge of tears, causing Phillip to soften up immediately.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten on your case like that. I just want to know why you won't give me a chance."

Nicole looked straight into his eyes for a moment before answering, "Because guys like you don't ask out girls like me."

"Girls like you? What's that supposed mean?"

Nicole sighed "I'm...odd, I guess. I'm an old soul, and once people learn that, they don't bother to learn anything else about me." It was true. One of the main reason Nicole had never had a real boyfriend was because most guys were never able to connect with her on an intellectual level, and it was extremely rare to find someone with the same interests as her. She would get so frustrated and became more and more introverted, which is why she frequently had problems communicating socially with others.

"Then tell me." Said Phillip.

"Tell you?"

"Tell me about yourself." He said, dead serious. Nicole became silent and stared down at her at her lap again, blushing. "Alright, let's begin with...favorite movie?"

"Oh, it's nothing you would find too interesting..."

"Stop doing that!" he snapped. "If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked, so answer me."

"The Dreamers, it's a Bertolucci film." She mumbled.

"What sort of movies do you usually watch?"

"Classic and controversial."

"And this movie would be?"

She thought a moment before answering, "Controversial."

"I see," he said, glad he was finally getting her to talk. "Favorite book?"

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

"Really?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "May I ask why?"

"I always felt like I related to the internal struggles of the antagonist-whether or not to go after something you know you shouldn't...and I love how Hugo writes about the architecture. I've never been to Paris, but one day I want to go just to see the cathedral"

"My, my. You really are different." He murmured.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," he said, "So when you're not working, what you do?"

"I like to read, listen to music, watch operas..." That last one caused Phillip to laugh out loud. This girl was definitely something else, he thought. He then noticed Nicole shooting him a death glare. "This is why," she began

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. I just wasn't expecting that. What's your favorite opera?"

"Carmen." She said

"What kind of music do you listen to?"

"Different types. Big band, swing jazz, classical, classic rock, British punk rock..."

Where the hell did this girl come from?He wondered to himself, assessing her reactions as she answered his questions.She's been blushing for the past hour,he thought.I wonder how experienced she is with guys."How many boyfriends have you had?"

Nicole almost choked on her food. "W-what?!?"

"I said, how many boyfriends have you had?" he repeated

"None." She said, almost inaudibly.

"Ever kissed a guy?" he asked, determined to find out as much as he could about her.

"Phillip!" she said, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Sorry," he laughed, "I guess that was a little personal."At least it's safe to say she's a virgin.

"I think it's time for me to find out a little about you." She said, still blushing and looking down.

"I'm an open book, ask whatever you want."

Nicole had a bad habit of judging people based on their interests, and began with the same questions he asked her. "Favorite movie?"

"I've always been a fan of the Twilight movies," he said, looking completely serious.

Nicole was not shy about showing her look of disgust.

"Hahaha! You should see the look on your face!" he said, laughing so hard he was about to cry. Nicole remained silent.

"I'm sorry, I forgot. You don't know how to take a joke," he said, winking at her. "But in all honesty, my favorite movie is Hitchcock's Psycho." Now it was Nicole who burst out laughing. Phillip looked confused. "Now it's my turn to apologize," said Nicole. "I wasn't laughing at you, I swear. I just had a funny experience with that movie when I was younger."

"Tell me," he said, showing genuine interest.

"Don't worry about it."

"Maybe some other time?"

"...Maybe."

The rest of the night continued without any problems. Nicole was actually enjoying herself, and to everyone around them, they appeared to be a couple in love. Some even commented on how cute they looked together, causing Nicole to break out in another fierce blush. They talked about high school, college, movies, jobs, etc. Nicole learned that Phillip was working as the intern of the president of a major software company, which apparently was "no big deal." He was going for a master's degree in public administration, and was currently working on research to determine cities that would benefit the most from using renewable energy sources.That would explain the nice clothes and indifference in spending,she thought. "It's getting late," she said, "I should probably get back before my roommate gets worried."

"Didn't you tell her where you were going?"

"Um, no."

"Alright then, I'll get the check."

As they left the restaurant and got a cab, Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd be waking up in a few hours, only to find that this whole night had been a dream.Why me,she thought.Out of all the girls in this city, why would he bother with someone like me?Once in the cab, they remained silent, each looking out the window and pondering the events of the night. A few minutes later, they arrived at the apartment building. "Want me to walk you up?" asked Phillip. "No thanks," said Nicole, "I'm a big girl, I think I'll manage." Before she could get out of the cab, Phillip reached out and grabbed her hand, moving down to kiss it, while giving her a sensuous stare that had her practically hypnotized. "Same time tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright." She said, still in her daze.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." With that, she got out of the cab, eager to get back to her apartment jump into bed.

Whatever it takes,he thought to himself as he watched her go into the building,I have to make her mine.

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Please please please comment! This is my first go at writing, and I definitely appreciate (actually I encourage!) any constructive criticism. Even if you just want to say whether or not you hate it or love it, let me know!