Sweet Love (NG5)

8 - Duty

Nick sat in the dorm's lobby, watching students come and go on Saturday night. He wasn't required to stay by the door, but it made him visible. A group of freshman girls giggled past him.

"Hi Nick." One waved.

Although he wasn't vain, he knew what their giggles meant. Matt walked over and slumped into a chair next to him.

"Hey. Wanna catch a spring training game?"

"Um, when were you thinking?" Matt was from Massachusetts. Nick and Matt were both Boston sports fans. The baseball team held preseason games in Florida.

"We could catch the team playing here in Tampa or St. Pete."

"If we can get tickets on a weekend. I can't miss my labs. Are you heading north for break?"

Matt shook his head. "We're going south."

Nick smiled. "I'm going home."

"Nick!"

He turned his head. Somehow he missed Trinity walking in. "Hey Trin. I thought you would be out partying."

She shook her head and pointed upwards. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah. Matt, text me."

"Sure. Later."

Nick stood and followed her to the elevator. She seemed pissed, but he didn't know why. Once in his room, he closed the door. "What's up?"

"You can't go home. We're going to Fort Lauderdale. My father rented a condo for us."

He shook his head. "You said you were going to spring break. My father bought me a plane ticket home."

She sat on his bed with a frustrated groan. "We were going together."

He shook his head. "You never asked me. I thought the condo was for you and your friends. Seriously, I don't have money for spring break."

"Trade your ticket. It'll be cheaper. Use the rest to party with."

"It doesn't work that way in my family. Plus, I miss home and I can work to get spending money to hold me over until May."

"Work?" She wrinkled her nose.

He smiled. "It's not a dirty word. I've been working since I was fifteen." It gave him confidence when he did his job well.

Sometimes in the summer the line was out the door and snaked into the parking lot. Nick loved the challenge of working with other competent people like a well-oiled machine. His dad talked about when he worked at The Landing. Back then it was his parents and Jen, but they had been replaced many times through the years until it became him, Sophie and Ivy. They were a machine together.

"But I wanted us to have fun. You love the beach. Right? A week on the beach, how can you turn it down?"

He smirked. A week at the beach was perfect: a cold, windy beach. "I love my family. I haven't seen Soph since January."

"Have her fly down. She's cool right?"

"Sophie is the best." She'd hate you. He could imagine her and Ivy making fun of them. Even Ben would because he had dated girls like Trinity, until he surprised them all by falling for Keira. They were the new Sam and Rory. Everyone expected them to get married in a few years when Keira graduated. "I miss all my friends. Ben complains he never hears from me. I promised we would hang out." Plus, he needed to find out what was happening with Rick. What if he needed to find a new summer job?

"I expected you to be more fun." She pouted.

"I can be fun." He pulled her to her feet and kissed her. As her body melted into him and their tongues danced, his phone rang. He pulled away. "I have to. This is Nick. I have to let someone in their room."