The Superstar and the Super Nerd

I heard my phone ring for the third time. I rubbed my eyes and tried to open them slowly as I reached for the source of the noise that woke me up.

With heavy eyelids, I peeked to see what time it was.

6:00 AM

I sighed and forced myself to sit up.

“Get up, Nicky. Time to get your drunken ass out of bed.”

It has been the same routine for six months now.

When I finally get home, away from the public eye I dwelt in daily for eighteen hours and then drowned myself in glasses of wine until I passed out.

Every day since I moved out from the apartment I shared with my best friend has been like this.

Lonely and Miserable.

I was never alone. I was surrounded by flocks of people each day but I was lonely.

Lonely since the day I lost the two people I cared for the most.

I tried. I did but I never got past a cup of coffee with most guys.

The more I failed in dating the more I buried myself in tons of work so there was less time to screw up my already catastrophic love life.

We worked together so we were able to coordinate our schedules to sneak in a coffee date, a lunch and a dinner.

It was also practical to try to work things out with each other since we were being paired as a love team.

I took another deep breath and got up. I freshened up, brushed my teeth and changed into my jogging clothes.

Morning runs were one of the few things that still kept me sane so I went on them every day. I looked at my face in the mirror and sighed.

I walked out of my unit and got in the elevator still thinking to myself when I heard the cute neighbor I saw every day but never bothered to know or speak to.

Just when the doors were closing I heard her melodious voice call out. I saw her every day but that was usually in the lobby since she lived a few floors above my unit.

“Hold please.”

I quickly pressed the button to keep the doors open. Then she stepped in and the confined space was suddenly filled with her sweet scent of pear and freesia.

I moved to the back of the elevator as she hit the button to close the door.

She then turned her attention to her phone’s playlist, leaving me to appreciate the wonderful sight that is Nicky Dei.

Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, showing off the delicate skin of her neck and nape, the racerback sports top she was wearing, bared her perfect shoulders.

My breath hitched with just the thought of her body against mine.

But, alas, to the rich and popular Nicky Dei, I am just a guy from the lobby that she saw every morning. And this was just one of those mornings.

Today, I will introduce myself and ask to jog with her instead of trailing behind her in the park, like some creepy stalker.

I took a deep breath and gathered the courage to approach her. I took two steps toward her and said as calmly as possible.

“Hi, Nicky.”

“Hi,” she said in her sweet voice.

“We see each other in the lobby every morning but I never got to introduce myself. I’m Richard. Richard Alden.” I stated as I reached out a hand for her to shake.

Sam’s words echoed in my head. “Sleep with a hot guy and forget about it. Sleep with a hot guy and forget about it.”

Maybe, that’s just the head start I needed.

When he reached out his hand for me to shake it, I was shocked to see his shorts impressively bulging.

It was too late when I realized the situation she saw down South because then her eyes already held mine in their tight mesmerizing grip.

“She’s probably busy shooting her new movie.” I thought, somewhat relieved.

“I don’t think I will have the courage to face her after that shaky situation. You’re lucky she has a great sense of humor and just laughed it off instead of getting creeped out.”

I have been trying to study for a test but my mind kept drifting back to yesterday’s incident.

The trailer for her new vampire movie that I just saw made things worse. Now my head is full of Nicky Dei.

I stuck my nose into my book and furrowed, trying very hard to concentrate but flashes of Nicky in her black skin-tight leather vampire costume kept popping in my mind.

I took a look around and found I was alone.

I closed my eyes and fantasized about the hot vampire Nicky that I saw on the movie teaser.

She suddenly appeared in front of me at the edge of the building, clad in an all-black ensemble of skintight pants, tank top, and leather jacket.

Nicky slowly walked toward me. I wanted to run but couldn’t. I was enthralled by her beauty and frozen in fear at the same time.

She placed a finger on my chest and pushed me back to my chair, her eyes locked on mine. She sat on my lap and straddled me.

I could feel her warm breath on my skin, her body pressed on mine.

I felt my whole being ache for her. And when I felt her tongue on my skin as she licked up from my collarbone to my jaw, I moaned a plea to her.

“What would I do with all these?”, I thought.

I already knew Mom and Dad won’t be there because they will be in a very important business meeting in Singapore on the date of the premiere.

They’ve always been supportive but this was the one time they can’t go.

We would always go to these events together.

Kyle was always by my side in these events and he would insist that we go with matching outfits.

To show that he has the Nicky Dei, whom everyone looked up to, eating off his hand.

That was why an hour or so of flaunting me around, he would leave me to flirt with anything with a skirt that he sees.

I was just an average girl, nobody. I didn’t have any hopes or dreams, no plan or direction until the viral dubsmash video that jump-started my career.

Liz, my used-to-be best friend, was always there too. She was the sibling I never had.

“Fuck! Why am I thinking about them again? Stupid Nicky. Can’t you see they played you all along?” I thought.

I sighed just as my driver parked the car. I got off.

I stared at my reflection in one of the mirrors. My hair was held up in a messy bun.

My ripped jeans flattered the shape of my hips, legs, and buttocks and my white tank top showed off my shoulders and collarbone.

“Damn it! You look pretty good, Nicky.” I said to myself.

“You look good,” I repeated weakly, not quite convinced with the statement.

DING!

The elevator door opened and I started to march to my unit.

When I saw the long empty hallway ahead, I gazed down at the invitations clutched in my right hand. I took a deep breath and made a decision.

With all the courage I could muster, I marched back to the elevator and went down to his floor. Sixteenth.

That’s where I saw him get off yesterday. I was surprised I actually remembered. I wondered which unit was his when the maintenance guy I saw in the hall directed me to his door after I asked.

“Well, maybe you’re going for the wrong hot guy, Nicky.”

I shook my head and laughed at myself. I decided to go to my quiet place, on the rooftop where I can be alone and feel the wind blow through my face.

I was surprised to see I wasn’t alone there.

I walked up to him and was about to call his attention when he mumbled in a low seductive voice like a plea.

I stared at him as my jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Did he just say that? Was he fantasizing about me?” I thought.

As I watched him lick his lips and hold his breath, I smirked with a sudden boost of confidence and thought, “Looks like you’re an easier catch than I imagined, Mr. Alden.”

My eyes flew open as I heard the familiar sweet voice and her delicious scent filled the air around me.

I quickly turned and my eyes met hers. She grinned in amusement.

“You wanted me to bite you?” She asked.

I stared at her, speechless and wanting so hard to kick myself in the balls to wake myself from that embarrassing nightmare.

“Shiiiiiiiit! Not again!” I thought.