“Oh, where Did I put those boots ?” Nikki, dressed in a riding attire had just put on her jeans, and getting quite irritated when she couldn’t find her boots.

It was raining last night and she couldn’t take her ride without her boots, she was in a horrible mood and needed the relaxation a ride always offered, she went to see Nicholas the night before, only to found out that she wasn’t on his visitors list, and they wouldn’t let her to call and try to convince him since it was close to five and the visitation hour was about to get over.

Not only that she felt herself tired and lacking of energy and appetite, she still wasn’t sleeping at night and had another nightmare about Nicholas, and this time Victor wasn’t there to wake her from it and hug her and kiss her tears away...

It was a different dream from the others, she dreamt about Amy telling them she knew nothing about Nicholas and whoever shot Matt and the judge saying angrily they had wasted his time and that Nicholas would sit in jail forever-ever-ever-ever-ever....

The word echoed in her ears until she woke up...

She hasn’t heard from Victor all of yesterday, although she did turn in early, but what was even stranger was the fact that she called him after she woke up, which was around four... she wanted to hear his voice and knew he would probably already be awake as well, but he wasn’t there...

She longed to talk to him all of yesterday, she wanted most to hear his warm voice... and kinda wanted them to continue their conversation, especailly because Victor seemed determinate to reassure her, she was so glad now she brought that subject up, because he seemed honestly surprised that she would even think about the fact that he may still have feelings for Hope... “it would still help to actually hear him say that” she thought and then grimaced when she realized how insecure she still sounded...
 

She brushed all thoughts of Hope away and grinned in triumph as she discovered her boots, put them on and went downstairs and out the door, hoping a ride would make her feel better.
 
 

At Jack’s office, Jack was working hard on some reports when Brad showed up, Jack looked up and frowned when he saw Brad standing there... “Morning Bradley...”

Brad walked into the room “I got you a Christmas present”

Jack looked up, surprised and said with a grin “Why Bradley, I never knew you cared” and Brad said with an annoyed expression “Reports for Victor”

Jack said, feigning disappointment “Gee, thanks” he looked at Brad and asked “So how was your Christmas?”

Brad replied “If you must know I talked to my daughter, and then I stopped by to see Nikki”

Jack was surprised “You went to see Nikki? On Christmas eve?”

Brad asked “Sure, why not?”

Jack said “Well, I don’t know, maybe because she was going through a very difficult Christmas with her family,  Victoria can’t stand you, and Victor is five moments away from giving you the pink slip because you are constantly at his face?”

Brad commented “First of all, I had no idea the family was gathering around for Christmas, I didn't think they would otherwise I never would have showed up in the middle of the dinner, but...”

Brad grinned in satisfaction “I don’t know what was better, reading Nikki’s note, or seeing the expression on Victoria and Victor’s faces when they heard it too... I am telling you Jack I have had it up to here with those two, Victor had his chance with her, he should let her go and let her move on with her life”

Jack rolled his eyes “Maybe she does wants to move on but doesn't’ want to do that with you, have you ever thought of that? And what note are you talking about?”

Brad smiled “The note that was on Nikki’s gift, I know for a fact she still got feelings for me”

Jack was more than a little surprised “Nikki bought you a gift?”

Brad said quickly “She told me she bought it before we split up”

Jack raised his eye brow at Brad pointedly and Brad said “It doesn’t mean a thing, for all I know she could have said it just because Victor was in the room, just about to throw a fit, you should have seen the expression on his face when I read out Nikki’s note... maybe he is beginning to see what he lost now - too bad it’s too late for him and Nikki”

Jack muttered “I am sure he is...”

Brad continued, too full of himself to pay attention to what Jack had to say “I am convinced that Nikki still wants me and I sure as hell wants her and I am not giving her up”

Jack again tried to reason with him “Brad you are reading too mu.....”
 

At that moment the door opened and Nikki walked in “Jack your secretary wasn’t at her desk so I...”
She stopped cold when she saw Bradley, who smiled brightly at her, and Jack who looked at her with sympathy...

“Well, Hello you two” She said cautiously as she walked into the room, looking from one man to the other.

Jack smiled at her “Morning sugar...” Nikki answered him with a smile and asked “How was your Christmas?”

Jack smiled “Lovely, my wife asked me to thank you for the gift, she loved it”

Nikki smiled back “It was my pleasure...”

Brad interfered “Hello Nikki” He said.

Nikki did her best to smile, she had no idea what to do about him, she truly wanted to stay Brad’s friend and she hoped he would understand she indeed meant it when she said she wanted to end their relationship, but by now she already figured out he wasn’t going to give up, and she was torn between being flattered and between worrying about the troubles it might cause...

“Hi Bradley, I didn’t expect to see you here...” She said.

Brad said “I just came here to drop some reports for Jack, actually I was looking for Victor but he is no where to be found...I went to his office and ran into your daughter”

Nikki glanced at him worriedly and he added sarcastically “lovely encounter as ever...”

Nikki sighed “I’m not surprised...”

She looked at Brad and started to say “Brad...”

Brad cut her off “I want to show you something...”

Nikki asked with curiosity “Oh?” Brad pulled up his arm and showed her he is wearing the cuff links “Great gift Nikki... I love them...”

Nikki didn’t know what to say, he sent a look toward her ear lobs and his face fallen when he noticed she wasn’t wearing his gift, Nikki just ignored his look, not knowing how to react.. she just said with a smile “I glad you liked them, I wasn’t sure what to buy”

Brad smiled “Well, you did great...”

He looked at her and added with a smile “You look great”

Jack rolled his eyes...

Nikki commented sadly, walking across the room and standing next to the window “Well thank you, but believe me when I say I feel anything but great”

Both men looked at her worriedly and Jack asked her “Nicholas? Didn’t he called on Christmas?”

Nikki smiled “Yes, he did do that... it was wonderful to hear from him”

Jack smiled at her “I’m sure it was...” She shook her head sadly “But he still wouldn’t see me, Victor has some sort of a plan of what to do but I don’t know what’s that about, I was thinking this might have something to do of why he is out of town”

She turned around and looked toward Jack “I was hoping you might know where he is” she said “There a few things I wanted to talk to him... about Nicholas”.

Jack shook his head “Sorry, I haven’t seen or talked to him ever since Christmas, actually if I haven’t seen you I would have called you to ask if you know where the great man took off to...”

Nikki shook her head “I don’t know...”

That cheered Brad up, Victor was out of town, perfect time for him to offer comfort for Nikki without Victor interfering.

He didn’t stand a chance while Victor was around, since he was Nicholas’s father, but now Nikki might see that she can turn to him too, that he wants to help her through this tough time as well.
And then maybe, just maybe she might reconsider her decision to dump him, a decision that he was convinced she made because of the situation in her family and because of Victor and Victoria’s objection.

He looked at her and said with a smile “Nikki, are you doing anything right now?”

Nikki didn’t know what to say, so she asked “Why?”

Brad said “Because I wanted to invite you for an early lunch...if you can...”

Nikki didn’t know what to say, she knew what would happen in that lunch, he would try to win her back, she could see the way he was looking and was full with regret she didn’t make herself more clear when she ended things with him.

She was more confused then, and in a way, she wanted to leave herself an opening, a way to return to him if things did not work out between her and Victor.

She wasn’t proud of herself for doing that, but this is the way it happened...

Now after the last few days she was feeling so much better about what the future held for her and Victor, Christmas, despite all of the sadness was an amazing time for them.

She didn't feel this close to Victor in years, and as much as she was determinate to take everything between them slow, and not to let too of what she felt out... as every time she did it in the past she got hurt.

She found that resisting Victor, and to her feelings harder and harder to do every time she saw him.

She pulled back to reality and the situation with Brad, she couldn’t tell him just yet about Victor, and she didn’t want to deal of the possibility of him coming on to her and she would have to explain why.

Brad stood there, waiting for an answers when his cell phone rang, “Hello, yes Arthur, what can I do for you... you what?..What are you talking about, we are two minutes away from signing on the deal....You can not be serious..Hold on”

He looked at Jack, putting his hand on the phone and said “It’s the Lopez and Co. acquisition, they want 50 million more than what Victor said to offer”

Jack looked alarmed and looked at Nikki “Are you sure you don’t know where he is?”

Nikki shook her head no and looked worriedly at the two of them as Jack said to Brad “We want the deal, I just don’t think Victor would ever agree to pay them all that money, I’m not signing this off without him being here...”

Brad protested “We need that deal, Victor gave us his approval to sign off on his on his behalf while he is trying to free his son, you know that”

Jack shook his head “Not for 50 million dollars more, look, where is Arthur now?”

Brad responded “Right here in GC...”

Jack said tiredly “Fine, Fine, lets go meet him, we will get him down to the era of the twenty millions, and then I’ll sign it off, you know Victor, he would never give in to that, 50 million is outrageous, they need us more than we need them...”

Brad nodded and said to the man on the other line “Arthur, where are you?, Fine... we will be there... but I’m telling you, if you are thinking about playing more games you are doing it with the wrong people”

He hung up and looked at Jack “We need to get going”

He looked at Nikki “Rain check?”

Nikki was more than happy to agree “Sure... go, it’s okay..”

Jack turned to her and gave her a big hug and whispered in her ear “I’ll talk to you later, and try to get him out of your hair in the mean time” Nikki just nodded quietly and smiled at him and watched the two man leave...

She sighed deeply sat on the edge of the table and wondered where Victor could possibly be, and if this has something to do with Nicholas... or maybe possibly her... it wasn’t the first time a lot of chaos in Victor’s life made him go away for a while, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to do it while Nicholas is in jail... so where was he? And if he was thinking about them, what conclusions will he make?

She knew they had to make things clear between them, where exactly are they heading, too many questions unanswered can lead only to complications in the future...
But somehow, as if fate interfered, every time they were about to confront something between them... something always got in their way.

“Nikki, what are you doing?” She thought to herself, “Trying to predict and plan your future, you never ran your life that way, why start now? You wanted Victor Newman back in your life forever, go for it!”

“Because you keep getting hurt?, because just following your heart is not always the right things to do? Because you can’t always trust on your heart...because you still have doubts about his feelings...”

She was struggling with all of her feelings, she didn’t want to feel that way, and nevertheless - she did...she brushed her hair away from her face and closed her eyes...

She heard the door being opened and turned around, and found herself looking at Luan, Jack’s wife.

Actually, it was the first time she saw her, well, she had been at Jack’s wedding but they haven’t talked, which wasn’t surprising considering Nikki was Jack’s ex...

Luan walked into the room a bit cautiously, not recognizing Nikki...”I am looking for my husband...I was suppose to have lunch with him... she looked at Nikki with curiosity.

Nikki noticed Luan didn’t recognize her and said “Hmm, Jack just left, some sort of business crisis... I can see you don’t recognize me, I’m not surprised, we only met once... Luan... I’m Nikki, Jack’s infamous ex...” she added with a smile.

A spark of understand touched Luan’s eyes “Nikki, of course, I remember now...” and reached out her hand to shake Nikki’s

Both women shook hands and smiled at each other, Nikki looked at her and suddenly realized what Jack liked about her, regardless of her very unique beauty, she had this aura of goodness around her, she looked like a completely sweet person...

Nikki nodded “Yes, we’ve met at your wedding... since I haven’t got a chance to tell you that in person, congratulations”

Luan smiled “That’s very kind of you, Jack should have introduced between us long ago”

Nikki agreed with her “Yes, he definitely should have, but I must say that I have heard a lot about you”

Luan added “So Have I”

Nikki said with a smile “Oh - Oh, do I dare ask?”

Luan smiled at her “Jack had nothing but good things to say about you....”

Nikki smiled “That’s very sweet of him, and I think nothing but the best about him”

Luan’s expression changed serious “I am very sorry to hear about your son, Jack told me that he had been framed”

Nikki blinked her eyes, trying to mask on sudden tears “Yes, he was...”

Luan noticed Nikki’s tears and said softly “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to sadden you”

Nikki shook her head and wiped her tears away, embarrassed to get emotional in front of someone who was basically a stranger “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get this way...”

Luan said gently “That’s alright, I understand...I too spent many years away from my son”

Nikki suddenly looked at her “That’s true, Jack told me about Keemo and how you didn’t know if he was dead or alive for many years... I can’t even imagine something like that with one of my own children... what I’m going through with Nicholas.. at least I know where he is and that I will know when he is alright...”

Luan answered sadly “Yes it was very hard, all those years away from my son...”

Nikki smiled at her “But you found him...”

Luan said “And this was one of the greatest joys of my life”

Nikki nodded “I can only imagine...”

Both women looked at each other in silence and then Nikki broke the silence and asked her “Luan, now that Jack is not here... are you doing anything right now?”
Luan shook her head and said “Well, I need to be back at the restraunt but not for another hour and a half, why?”

Nikki said sincerely “Because I would love to have lunch with you, I get a feeling we would have a lot to talk about”

Luan smiled back at her “I would love to, where to?”

Nikki shrugged “Gina’s?”

Luan agreed with a nod and said “Just a minute, I want to leave Jack a note...”

Nikki laughed and Luan looked at her with surprise and Nikki explained ‘We are going to give him a heart attack, he would think we are talking about him...it’s every man worst nightmare”

Luan said with a little grin “Well, since he isn’t here to stop us...”

Nikki smiled, waited till Luan would leave her note and the two women left.