Chapter 5.

My father had given me the day off and quite frankly, I needed it. I had been working long hours this week as a group of bikers had wanted various tattoos which couldn't all be done in one day.

Also, I hadn't seen Nick for days.

A part of me was missing him, the other part was quite happy I hadn't seen him. He messed me up, in more ways than one. I was having a breather, but I wasn't sure I was enjoying it.

Danni had phoned me up during the week and we had planned a day out. I didn't know what she had in mind but I was excited to hang out with her.

Once I was dressed, I made my way to the front door and left, locking it behind me. Glenn had gone to work early this morning so I had the house to myself.

I jumped into a cab I had called earlier in advance and made my way to the cafe Danni had planned to meet me at.

It didn't take long before the taxi was pulling up towards the curb. I passed him a note before leaving the car and making my way in to the cafe. It smelt of freshly baked cakes and freshly brewed coffee. Yum.

I made my way up to the counter and ordered before Danni arrived. I then grabbed my stuff as soon as it was done and went to sit down in a small booth.

It didn't take long before Danni was bounding her way up to me, a small bobble hat laying cutely above her head.

"Hey, cutie." She smiles before sitting down opposite me and grabbing on to the drink I had bought her in advance.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked in greeting. I took a sip of my coffee and sighed. It was nice to get out and to have company with somebody other than the biker crew and my father. It was nice to be occupied from all thoughts of Nick.

"You know what? I'm doing okay. My stupid neighbours are pissing me off lately though." She rolled her eyes. I laughed at her bubbly personality.

I had always wanted a personality like Danni's. She was always so happy and bubbly, I was envious. Sometimes, it felt like half of me was missing and lost. I wasn't the girl I used to be.

"It's okay, I'm still living with my dad." I stated. I loved my dad but I was definitely old enough to have my own house, that was for sure.

"My little two bedroom flat is always open to you, darling, you know that." I nod my head in reply. I didn't know if I was ready to leave my father just yet. I had missed him so much.

"Thanks, Dan."

She waved me off with a smile.

"Okay, anyway, first of all I want to know where you went the other night when we went out clubbing. You're a secret dirty stop out aren't you?" Her eyes twinkled with curiosity and amusement as she looked to me. "You know I won't judge."

"I wouldn't say dirty stop out." I replied sheepishly. "We didn't do anything, I was going to but I stopped short."

"Why?"

"I was scared." I was being honest here. I saw Nick as any other man on this Earth, yet, he didn't feel like just another man.

"Tell me about it." Danni said as an encouragement to continue. I sighed. I had a girl friend now, I could tell her anything.

"He's a bit of a play boy, you know, a ladies man and me? Well I'm just an average girl with a fuck load of tattoos on my skin and I maybe or maybe not might have a small crush on him." I looked down at my cup of coffee. "I don't want to be used by him."

"If he's using you then he doesn't know what he's missing." Danni stated. "In fact, to me, he'll be labelled as a dick head. You're hot stuff."

"Thanks." I laughed. "He's so handsome and he's got tattoos all over his body." I dreamt of him more than I should have. He was more than just handsome.

"Still, he needs to be brought down to his knees." Danni stated. I looked to her with confusion. "You know what brings a sexy man down? A sexy woman. Come on, we're going shopping."

****

We didn't just end up shopping.

I've had my nails done, my makeup done and now I'm on to my hair. I didn't know how much money I was forking out and to be honest, I didn't really care.

I already felt more confident than I did before. I felt like a polished woman and I felt good.

As I sat there in the leather chair with a black cloth wrapped around my neck, I relaxed. The Italian man who had a pair of scissors in his one hand and my hair in between his two fingers whizzed around my hair like a professional.

I guess he was really.

He styled my hair and cut it into a way that looked glamorous. My hair was naturally an inky black so it was hard to dye it or colour it in any sort of way. I didn't care, I just wanted to look good.

In my mind, I wanted to look good for Nick.

When he was done, I looked at myself in the mirror and I wanted to gasp. My hair looked full of life and voluminous. My makeup was done so nicely and precisely. Everything stood out.

"Wow, hot." Danni said as she came up beside me.

"Very very nice." The hair dresser admired his work and smiled proudly. I got up to pay.

Before long, Danni had dragged me to another store and we were trying on dresses.

Passing the mirrors, I felt so good. I had never been treated this way, this thing was never my thing.

I tried on many dresses but I fell in love with just one. It hugged my curvy figure in the best way possible and felt so good against my skin.

I could never wear colourful clothes too much as I felt the colours contrasted against the tattoos I had on my skin. This dress was black but was made of fine silk. It was short and tight against my body.

I took the dress off my body and held it in my arms until I was at the counter. I was going to buy this, most definitely.

My card felt heavy in my hands as I paid for the pile of silk.

"Are you ready to go?" Danni asked straight after I had paid. I nodded. Luckily, I had black heels at home. I didn't know when and where I was going to wear this, but I was hoping this effort wasn't going to be wasted.

In fact, I wanted to see Nick tonight. I felt good about myself and for the first time ever my makeup was done perfectly.

Danni and I shared a taxi back to our homes. Danni left first with a hard kiss to the cheek and then I was the next one to be dropped off.

As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted to silence again. With a shrug, I went upstairs to try on my outfit again.

Ten minutes later, I heard the door downstairs opening and closing.

"Cathy?" I heard my father's voice.

"Hold on, dad." I shouted back. "I bought a new dress, I'm just trying it on."

"Come down and let me see it." He replied. I smiled. My father was a masculine man but he loved to see me dressing up. As a child he would help me dress up in consumes and we'd play for hours. I know he misses how things used to be.

As soon as I was ready I opened my bedroom door and made my way downstairs. I emerged into the living room to see my father.

"It looks amazing." Glenn said, his eyes twinkling and a large smile upon his face. "I wish you didn't have to keep growing."

"I'm an adult, dad." I laughed.

"I wish you were still my baby." He stated almost tearfully. He was always so sensitive when it came to me, his only child.

All of a sudden, I could feel Nick before I saw him. I turned around to face him emerging into the living room from the kitchen. I hadn't realised he was here.

His confident steps faultered as he took me in. Satisfaction swept through his gaze and I stood there proudly. He almost came to a stop.

"She looks good doesn't she?"

Nick nodded slowly as his eyes continued to sweep my body.

"I'm going back upstairs." I stated as I started to blush at their stares.

"I'm going for a piss." Nick said and followed quickly behind me. I didn't have it in me to tell him to stop following me. In fact, I was glad when he pulled me back by the elbow and laid his nose against my neck.

"Fuck." He whispered as he pushed me to my bedroom door. "That dress..." he trailed off.

"Do you like it?"

"I more than like it." He growled. "What's it going to take for me to get on top of you?" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not that type of girl, Nick."

"What type of girl are you?" I shrugged.

"I've never been the romantic type, Nick, but I like going out for dinner and-"

"Come out for dinner with me."

"What?"

"Have dinner, with me." He sighed as he caged me between his rock hard body and the wall. His eyes looked straight to me. "It's crazy, I know. I don't usually do this but I can't stop thinking about you and quite frankly I'd rather take you out for dinner than not be around you at all."

"Really?"

"Babe, I wouldn't be able to get the image of that dress and your body out of mind even if I tried." He closed his hooded eyes slightly. "We might as well give that dress some good use."

"I'd love to go out to dinner with you." I replied.

"I'd rather that dress on my bedroom floor, but beggars can't be choosers." He winked my way. I slapped his chest hard before moving away from him.

"Don't make me change my mind." I looked to him. He lowered his head for a minute and smiled my way.

"I'll try my hardest." He looked like a vumernable little kid and it made my heart melt. "I'll pick you up later tonight, how about that?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I'll see you then." And he left my room without a glance back. I smiled triumphantly.

I didn't know what his intentions were and how far this would go, but for now, I wanted to live life to the fullest. And finally, a part of my old self was starting to make it's appearance.

Once I had stripped out of my dress and back into my jeans and my t shirt, I laid the dress carefully out on the bed, making sure it wasn't going to crease and get ruined.

I then made my way back downstairs. I could still hear Nick and my father talking so I decided to walk past them and in to the kitchen. I could feel Nick's eyes burning holes in to my back as I moved.

"I swear to God, Nick, stop staring at my daughter's arse." My dad never missed a trick. I laughed loudly.

"Dad, I'm feeling violated."

"I know, Birdy, don't worry, I'll kick his arse." Glenn replied. I laughed again and made my way back in to the living room after grabbing a bottle of water.

Nick sat in the arm chair with his ankle laying on top of his other leg. He looked so casual and comfortable, it made my heart race.

"I'm always getting ganged upon when I'm here." Nick muttered solemnly to himself. "You couldn't hurt me with that crusty arm anyway, Glenn."

"You're a twat." Glenn replied and I laughed again. His voice was full of humour and deep down I knew Glenn loved Nick a lot. They were like best friends and Nick obviously adored my father. Who wouldn't?

"A twat who's taking your daughter out tonight." Nick replied. Glenn looked to me with a shocked expression.

"Is that why you keep going upstairs after my daughter?" Glenn looked back over to Nick. "If you hurt her, I'll hurt you, I swear to God."

"I'll look after her, Glenn. You don't need to worry." And for once, Nick looked serious. I did trust him.

"You're a police officer, that's your job you donut, please, just do your job properly in the care of my child."

"I'm not a child." I replied but he didn't hear me, if he did he chose to ignore it.

"I swear to you, Glenn." Nick stated. Glenn finally nodded his head with approval but I could see the warning signs in his eyes.

Nick looked over to me and smirked. I smiled his way.

"I best get going." Nick got up from the chair and clasped his strong legs. "I got a hot date tonight."

"Don't push it." My father muttered.

"I'll let you out." I rushed over to Nick and pulled him in to the hall way before closing the door behind us.

"Steady on." He chuckled. "Have you come to give me a goodbye kiss?"

"I will punch you in the face." I said back. He chuckled again.

"I'll see you tonight, darling. Seven o'clock."

"Seven o'clock." I nodded firmly. My heart flipping at the word darling. Jesus, why did he effect me so much?

"Wear that dress." He demanded. I nodded my head.

"I was counting on it."

"Good girl." Nick bent over to kiss my forehead before retreating and moving to the front door. "Seven o'clock, don't forget."

"I'm not going to forget." I laughed. His kiss making me tingle.

"See you later then." He said. "I'm looking forward to it."