JC sat back in the green velvet armchair. A tall, muscular black man with shoulder-length dreadlocks tied back behind him in a low ponytail eased into the matching green velvet sofa across from him. A moment later they were both joined by JC's manager, Eric, who handed each a small leather-bound menu. 

"Do you think I can read To Kill a Mockingbird while I drink the Tequila Mockingbird?" JC laughed, not looking up from the menu. "Where did you bring us, E.?" 

"Well, it's called the Library bar, so false advertising if you can't check out books while you drink." Eric laughed. "Who doesn't love a good theme," he added as he called the waitress over. "Zaire, JC, do you know what you are having?"

The drinks arrived quickly. Eric watched on as JC and Zaire chatted about previous jobs and gigs. The two had never worked together before today but knew a lot of the same people and ran in similar circles. Eric seemed unimpressed, but JC couldn't remember the last time he actually enjoyed a day of work. 

"Layering on that Latin kit was fire, today, JC.  I'm looking forward to sending it to Becky Hill. Dallas was right, I needed a fresh set of ears. Glad we could make this work out today," Zaire took a final sip of his drink. 

"Yeah man, any time. I've been working on tunes solo the last few months, and it's nice to work with someone else again," JC eyed Eric as he spoke. 

"So, I got three more tracks for her album that I could use your magic touch with. What do you say, you up for it?" 

"Well," JC smiled and turned to Eric, who sat back, arms crossed. "I very recently have quite a bit of time on my hands, isn't that right, Eric?"

"I'll reach out and coordinate schedules," Eric forced a smile, then took a drink from his glass.

"Hey E., how about you get us another round, so we can celebrate?" JC smiled conspiratorially. 

****

"So, I will leave the career day information with your secretary, I really hope you can make it, and please pass the information on to anyone you know who might be interested." Nicole smiled and stood up from the plush office chair. 

"Thanks Miss Bell." Alan Sheffield, managing director of Boston Consulting Group, rose from his seat as well and reached over his large cherry wood desk to shake Nicole's hand. "And the kids are ready for the pitch competition next week?"

"Yeah! They are. Their mentors came yesterday and helped them practice, they're excited. But truthfully, I don't know if they're more excited about the competition or the free food." Nicole laughed and turned for the door. 

Mr. Sheffield followed her out. "It's nice working with you again this year. You're one of the more organized BCG Young Entrepreneurs advisors. I appreciate all the work you do, and I am sure the kiddos do too." 

"It's fun, and while clearly I do it for them, I benefit. I mean, look at this view!" She walked past the secretary's desk and looked out of the floor to ceiling windows. "I would never be on the top floor of the Paul Hastings Building otherwise." She turned back to face him. "Plus, these small glimpses into corporate life are very validating."

"Validating?"

"Yeah, this is not for me!" She laughed. 

"Well, there's no way I could do what you do every day. We will see you and the kids next week." Before reentering his office, he stopped at his secretary's desk, "Ms. Bell has some information about the school's career day, see if we can fit it into the schedule."

Nicole left a folder of information at the secretary's desk and headed for the large elevators in the center of the floor. As she waited for the elevator to arrive, she slid a foot from the black pump she was wearing and stretched her foot. She never dressed this nice for work, only on BCG Young Entrepreneur days. She slid her foot back into her shoe and pulled her phone from her purse. She had felt it buzz during her meeting with Mr. Sheffield. She warmed at the name on the screen. 

Josh: I know it's out of your Long Beach bubble, but I'm at this place you'd be into. I'm having a "The Lion, the Whiskey and the Wardrobe" right now. HAHA

Josh: Yelp: Library Bar l Downtown l Cocktail Bars 

Nicole tapped the link as she entered the elevator. She scrolled through the images of the literature themed bar.  It seemed way too fancy for her, but she could see how he made the connection. 

She exited the elevator into the garage and walked to the valet. She was just about to hand her ticket to the valet but changed her mind. 

"How late can I park here?" she asked?

"10 ma'am."

"Okay, I'll be back." 

Nicole immediately returned to the elevator and took it to the lobby floor. No use wasting free downtown parking. She pulled up the Library Bar address, and fortunately for her aching feet, she would only need to walk a few blocks. She wasn't sure if Josh was still there, but he had only messaged her about twenty minutes before. And, if he were gone, she imagined she'd drink a literary theme cocktail and send him a thank-you text with a picture. 

She borderline hobbled around the corner and up the block. She wondered how businesswomen in downtown managed to walk around in heels all day.  As a teacher and running coach, her work uniform was sneakers and track pants. She stopped short of the bar entrance and eyed her reflection in the window of the storefront next door. 

She was wearing a gray pantsuit, with a monochromatic plaid print. Her pants stopped above her ankles to show the uncomfortable but very fashionable heels. She wore a black sleeveless top that hung low, but a camisole and coordinating blazer helped her maintain a modest appearance. As she eyed her reflection in a window, she worried she looked too modest. She was about to walk into a fancy bar to surprise the sexiest man she knew. She wanted to look the part. She immediately removed her blazer and hung it over her purse, then reached up under her blouse and pulled down the camisole, to expose more skin. She reached up and pulled the hair tie holding her hair in a ponytail. She ran her hand through her hair a few times, allowing the cascade of waves to fall past her shoulders. She looked herself over once more, brushed her hands down the front of her a few times, and confidently marched into the bar. 

It was still early, the start of happy hour, only about five o'clock, so the crowd in the bar was small. She quickly spotted JC seated in the back corner with two other men. He was seated in a green armchair across a small coffee table from two men on a matching green sofa. They looked to be in a serious conversation, and immediately she grew nervous. She had a flash to the other night when JC showed up unexpectedly at her bar. She remembered how off balance that initially made her feel. But a second thought flashed in mind. Her body pressed against his on his motorcycle as he drove her home from said bar. And the weight of his body on her in her bed shortly after. Then his smell, and the taste of his mouth. The thought of them together caused her to flush, and she snapped back to reality. Just in time for him to notice her. 

"Nicole?" JC called out to her. He stood staring at her, mouth slightly open in surprise. 

Nicole took a deep breath, forced a smile, and did her best to walk confidently toward him. 

"Hey! Thanks for the recommendation. I was at a meeting around the corner and I figured I'd wait out traffic a bit before I went home," she lied. She wasn't waiting out traffic; she was hoping beyond all hope that he'd be here, and she could see him. 

JC remained standing. His eyes roamed her small frame, noting the attire. He had never seen her dress so nicely before. She was miss casual. Something about her now, and in heels, sent him spiraling. He wanted to keep staring at her, and another part of him wanted to ravish her right there in front of everyone. 

"JC, are you going to introduce us to your friend?" Zaire spoke up. 

"Oh, ye-yes. Um, this is my friend Nicole. Nicole, this is Zaire Koala. We are going to be working on some tracks together, and this," he turned to his manager who eyed him curiously, "is Eric, my manager." 

"Oh shit. This is a business thing." Nicole shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Zaire stopped her apology. "Please, join us. Lovely women are never an interruption. A distraction? Maybe. But never an interruption.  Besides, the business is over, and now we are just celebrating." Zaire patted the couch between him and Eric. 

Nicole sat next to him. He handed her the leather-bound menu. "What are we celebrating?" She asked, eyeing JC over the menu. 

"My freedom and new partnerships," JC smiled and raised his glass to Eric. 

Nicole smirked slightly. She had never met Eric, but she had created an image of him in her mind that was reminiscent of Ari from Entourage. In real life, he seemed harmless and way less sleazy. 

The waitress delivered her drink only minutes after ordering, and she sipped it slowly. She followed the conversation among the three men. She smiled at appropriate times and laughed when they laughed. She realized quickly she had nothing to contribute, and that made her nervous. The thoughts began to spiral in.  Every one of her friends knew him, they had all hung out with him. He was becoming a regular in her life. JC had fit so easily into her world, but she had yet to venture into his.

"So, Nicole." Eric snapped her from her pensive trance. "What do you do? You said you work around here?"

"She's a teacher." JC answered for her. 

Nicole eyed him, surprised by his quick answer.

"Where?" Zaire asked. 

"I teach English a few miles south of here. I am also the advisor for the Young Entrepreneurs group. My kids do this business competition. We work with BCG. They are in the Paul Hasting building. I had a meeting with the managing director. We have our first round of competitions next week, and I'm trying to get him to come and talk at our career day in a few weeks."

"Career day. How fun. That's cute." Eric smiled.

Nicole tried to ignore the patronizing tone. "Yeah, you interested? I can get you in at a prime-time slot?" She asked sweetly.

"What school do you work at, Nicole?" Zaire asked before Eric could respond. "I went to public school in South LA. At Dorsey."  

"OOOH. Man! I worked at Crenshaw for a long time. Big Rivalry." She smiled at him. "I work at a charter school now in the South Park Neighborhood."

"You specialize in tough schools, then, huh, girl?" Zaire smiled. "When did you leave Crenshaw? Were you there for the state championship?"

"No, I left in 2012. But the football team had a serious rebirth when I was there. De'Anthony Thomas was one of my favorite students."

"Are you name-dropping?" JC asked her, smiling. 

Nicole shrugged and took a long sip, finishing off what was left of her drink. "Well, gentlemen. Thanks for letting me crash your celebration. Josh--er-- JC, it's always a pleasure. Nice meeting you both, Zaire. Eric, think about career day, it's November 12th." She stood quickly and hoisted her purse onto her shoulder. 

JC stood as well.  He stepped out from around the coffee table and held his arm out in the direction of the door. "I'll walk you out," he said with a smile.

Nicole slipped out of the exit, JC right behind her. She turned to him and smiled shyly. "Sorry for crashing your business thing."

"Not a problem." He smiled, raised an arm, and brushed his fingertip across one of her bare shoulders. "You look amazing, by the way." He bent down slowly and placed a small kiss on her neck, and the second kiss on her shoulder. "Let me know you get home safely."

****

It had been a week since Nicole had last seen JC at the Library bar. Quitting his job with Sony had probably been the best decision he could have made for himself, as his calendar of work was filling up. He was in New York for the week, and his absence was more noticeable than she had anticipated. Prior to this New York gig, they had talked almost daily, and he had spent at least two nights a week with her. The void she was now experiencing made it increasingly difficult for her to maintain a casual facade. Fortunately, five weeks into the school year meant she was growing busier and busier, leaving her little time to do much of anything, let alone pine for JC. 

It was a late Thursday afternoon. She had arrived home from work at a reasonable hour and decided to go for a run along the bike path on the beach. She completed her 4-mile route and jogged to a stop at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the street from the beach. Music pulsing through her headphones, she stretched her legs, hanging her heel off of the top of the bottom step, bouncing slightly. She wiped the sweat from her upper lip with her shirt sleeve on her shoulder, then charged up the staircase. Halfway up, the music halted, and the loud ringing of her phone sang through her headphones. She took the last few steps, stopped, and pressed the button on the wire of her headphones to answer the call. 

"Hello," she panted into the small mic on the headphones wire. 

"Nicole?" A deep voice hummed through the line. 

"Yeah. Who's this?" Nicole asked, still catching her breath. The voice sounded familiar, but she struggled to place it. 

"Hey! It's Zaire. We met last week. JC gave me your number." 

"He did?" Nicole mumbled, confused. 

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you the other day. And I wanted to see if you'd let me take you out to dinner sometime. Maybe this weekend? JC might have mentioned that you weren't seeing anyone." 

"JC mentioned that?" Nicole's heart sank into the very pit of her stomach, and all the blood seemed to rush from her head. She stopped walking and leaned against the railing at the top of the stairs. She felt a stitch in her chest, and tears began to sting in her eyes. She took a deep breath, and blinked a few times, trying to regain her composure.  

"Nicole? Did I lose you?"

"Um, no. Hey, I'm just out finishing up a run. Can I call you when I get home? I'm a little out of sorts" she forced a laugh. 

"Yeah, just use this number. I look forward to your call."