He hadn’t yet seen her put her foot down. He may have thought she’d been stubborn before but the last party he’d made her attend had been miserable and the women had been piranhas. Neither Jasmine, nor Trinity had been there and she’d fought tears the entire time and wouldn’t put herself through that again.

“I don’t care about the stupid agreement. You’re expecting too much,” she told him.

“The only reason you were miserable at the last party was because of your own stupid stubbornness,” he mocked her. She’d refused to wear the dress he’d purchased, or the jewelry that lined her drawer. Instead she’d worn some discount dress and had looked like she should be attending a back yard barbeque. Of course the socialites had ripped her to shreds.

He’d been angry with her for refusing his gifts and ignored her most of the night and they’d both walked away from the evening ticked off. He didn’t even want to go to the stupid party they were fighting about but accepted the invitation because he wanted to punish her. He knew it was stupid but she had a way of really getting under his skin.

“Well you can take your party and stick it up your…” he didn’t let her finish her words. He grabbed her in his arms and smashed his mouth down on hers. She angered him more than any other woman but she also ignited his passion just as strongly.

It was several minutes before he found the will power to release her from his grasp. He held her in his arms, satisfied by the look in her eyes. She may fight him every step of the way but when she was in his arms her body betrayed her. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

“You’ll be ready by seven tonight,” he told her and walked from the room. She smiled at the closed door. He really had another thing coming if he thought he’d get his way. If he didn’t like how she was behaving, then he could kick her out. She didn’t like the feeling that thought caused in her gut. She may think he was a pompous jerk half the time but he was also the boy she’d loved more than any other.

What really scared her was falling for the man he now was. He was beautiful, caring, family-oriented, and made love with so much passion she never wanted to let him go afterward.

Nicole got ready for work and left her room. She crept down the stairs, grateful he was nowhere around. She jumped into her car with a smile. Her car was another point of contention between them. He’d actually had the gall to go out and buy her a new car. It sat untouched in his oversized garage. She refused to drive it. She really wanted to, more than she would ever let him know but she was too afraid she would like it more than she should.

It was a beautiful sparkly red convertible with all the bells and whistles and if he’d been in love with her, she would’ve been more than happy to accept the generous gift but that wasn’t the case. It was a gift for a mistress and she couldn’t accept it without feeling horrible about herself. Because of this, she wouldn’t accept anything he tried to buy for her. If she caved in even once, she’d lose a piece of herself and she couldn’t let that happen.

He was already getting her in his bed every night and she loved each minute, though she wouldn’t admit it to him. She was beginning to want what she could never have. She turned the key in her ignition and smiled victoriously when the motor turned over and started.

“That’s a real good girl,” she praised her car. It drove her sister nuts when she talked to the car like it was a human being but she didn’t care. She figured her words of praise were the only things keeping her car going.

She drove to work, only a few miles away, thankfully, and felt her tension evaporate. She loved working with Jasmine and Trinity at their shop. It was an amazing place with a café, floral department and unique gifts. She couldn’t imagine how satisfying it must be for them to know it was theirs and no one could take it away.

She knew their husbands had more money than they would ever spend and they didn’t need to work but they, like her, needed something of their own.

“Good morning Nicole, how are you today?” Trinity said, as she walked in the door.

“I’m great, how about you?”

“Wonderful. Now, come sit with us and have some breakfast. Jasmine just made the most incredible pastries I’ve ever eaten in my life,” Trinity demanded. Nicole felt a bit guilty sitting on the job. She didn’t want to take advantage of her friends, who’d been kind enough to give her a job.

“I really should get to work,” she told them.

“Nonsense. As you can see, we don’t have any customers right now and the whole idea of having a place like this is so we can have our own place to gossip and get away from the house,” Jasmine said. She set an overflowing plate of pastries on the table with a pot of specialty made coffee. The delicious aroma filled every breathable space in the store. Nicole was sure she was going to gain a hundred pounds while working with the girls. She’d never before had a job where she had so much down time.

“I think my clothes are fitting tighter just being in here,” she said with a laugh. The women chatted for a while, enjoying each other’s company. A couple of the other employee’s came in and moved around the shop but it was a really casual atmosphere.

“So, if you could do anything, what would it be?” Trinity asked her. Nicole missed the sly look between the two women.

“I’d love to have some place like this, actually. This is amazing. I’d enjoy having my own scrapbooking store, someday. I haven’t had time to create any albums of my own in years. The cost to get set up is expensive and with as much as I’ve always worked, I couldn’t justify spending the money,” she said with a sigh.

“Oh my gosh, it’s so interesting you mention that because Jasmine and I have talked about expanding and bringing in more products,” Trinity said with a smile.

“That would be so great if you brought in scrapbooking supplies. I know you wouldn’t regret it. It’s such a popular craft. I know you don’t need money but it’s a huge earning potential. I’d love to help you pick out some products and I could even teach some of the classes,” Nicole said with real enthusiasm.

“How about if you’re running your own scrapbooking store,” Jasmine told her. Nicole was filled with a desire she didn’t even want to think about. There was no way she could take on her own business. She would never be able to get the loans and if it failed, as so many small businesses did, she’d never be able to recover. She already owed Ryan her left arm and leg. She couldn’t pay for a business and pay him back too.

“That would be such a dream, but now isn’t the right time in my life to go into such a huge investment,” Nicole told them sadly.

“Well, you have two new best friends who already own the space. It wouldn’t take Ryan long to build an addition and you have nothing to lose as we’re already established. We’re going to invest in you because we know beyond a shadow of a doubt you’ll excel at it,” Trinity told her. Nicole’s eyes filled with tears at the confidence her friends had in her. It was such an overwhelming feeling, leaving her speechless.

She finally got up and gave them each a huge hug. She couldn’t keep the tear from sliding down her face at having met two women who were so caring and wonderful. She really wished she’d known Jasmine more during their school years because she had the feeling they would’ve been inseparable.

“I appreciate it, I really do and maybe later I can think about doing that but not right now. For now, I’ll help the two of you because I love working here,” Nicole told them. “Now, I have to use the restroom,” she added and made her escape, before she burst into tears.

Jasmine and Trinity waited until she was out of earshot to make plans. They knew she wanted it but was scared. They were determined to give her something she could be proud of. Jasmine called Ryan and told him they wanted him to build on an addition. They didn’t tell him what it was for, either. They couldn’t risk any chance of Nicole finding out about it until the moment it was ready.

They would certainly be keeping her busy over the next month with purchasing all the supplies to fill the new addition. The girls could hardly wait.

Nicole finished her day and headed out of the shop. Trinity and Jasmine left earlier and she’d drug her feet, not wanting to get back to the house early and fight with Ryan.

She jumped into her car and it started once again, making her incredibly happy. It was just starting to get dark out and she was feeling really tired. She wanted a hot bath and her soft bed. She got a few miles down the road and her car spluttered and died. She coasted it to the side of the road and tried to get it going for about fifteen minutes. She finally gave up and settled for walking. The place was only about a couple more miles but it may as well have been twenty with the exhaustion she felt.

She was creeped out by the dark and had to take a few deep breaths, to work up the courage for her trek. She got out of the car and started walking along the side of the road. A few cars passed by her but she kept her head down and they kept going. She would never get in the car with a stranger, no matter how harmless they looked or how great the neighborhood seemed.

Ryan paced by the door, waiting for her to come in. When she was still not there by six he called the shop. There was no answer and he knew she must have left at least an hour earlier. He was beyond angry she’d gone somewhere else. He grabbed his keys and decided to go searching for her. Of course, she refused to take the cell phone he’d gotten her. She refused to use anything he got her. She only wore the bare minimum of clothes he’d purchased because he’d burned all her original clothes. He didn’t regret doing that, especially considering how the night ended.

He drove down the route he knew she’d take home and passed right by her, walking on the side of the road because he hadn’t expected her to be there. When he reached her car, he started to panic a bit. He jumped out of his car and walked over to the piece of junk. He knew it was going to eventually leave her stranded. It was infuriating she wouldn’t use the perfectly good car he’d bought her. Well, her rusted car was heading to the junk yard and there was nothing else she could do but drive the car he’d bought.

He drove back the way he’d come, much slower, praying he’d spot her and nothing bad had happened. He saw her about a mile from her car and breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled up next to her and opened his door.

“Get in, Nicole,” he told her through clenched teeth. She should never have been in that death trap in the first place and seeing her walking along the dark road pushed his short temper over the edge of reason.

Nicole took one look at Ryan’s face and decided there was no way she was getting in his car. She was still mad at him about their earlier fight and his tone set her own temper to the boiling point.

“No thank you,” she said and picked up her pace. Ryan was so stunned by her refusal, she got a few yards ahead of him before he snapped out of it and gunned the engine. He pulled in front of her and leapt from the car.