Nikki sat down on the bed, brushing a strand of wet hair away from her face “Victor?”

Victor smiled, “Yea, it me...I haven’t woken you haven’t I?”

Nikki leaned against the arm of the bed and answered “No, No... nothing like that...”

She tensed and said “I’m surprised you called, I didn’t think I’ll hear from you at this point”

Victor said “I’m sorry I haven’t called earlier, I know I said I would”

Nikki was silent for a moment and than asked “Then why didn’t you? Victor where are you anyway? I tried to reach you and no one seemed to know where you were”

Victor answered softly “I’m in Chicago”

Victor said “There was a business matter that happened to be in Chicago, it needed my personal involvement, it got pretty complicated so I had to stay here....I’m sorry I didn’t call, things got pretty hectic around here”

Nikki asked him “Couldn’t someone else take care of the business meeting for you? You have so much on your plate right now...”

Victor answered “Nope, It had to be upper management, I knew Jack couldn’t attend it so it had to be me”

Nikki said pointedly “What about Brad? he is upper management also”

Victor took a deep breath and didn’t say anything.

Nikki rolled her eyes and said “You didn’t even ask him, have you?”

Victor answered shortly “No”

Nikki sighed “Why not?”

Victor answered, upset she wouldn’t understand “Nikki, I’m not going to ask favors of the man right now”

Nikki exclaimed “What favors? it’s his job... or at least was the last time I checked”

Victor commented “If this is you unsubtle way to ask me if I fired him, I haven’t... not yet anyway”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that”

She took a deep breath as he was silent on the other line “Victor, I know how much he irritates you lately, and I don’t blame you, okay? but Victor, you just can’t do everything, trying to free Nicholas and handling business meetings and take care of yourself in the mean time. You are going to have to learn to accept help!”

Victor said “Help, maybe, not Brad Carlton’s...the less contact there is between us right now the better it is for everyone... I need you to understand that if he keeps on provoking me I am not responsible for what I might say to him”

Nikki was silent... she understood where he was coming from, and if she was mad about something, it was about him trying to do too much at once and not relying on other for help...”

“Victor, I’m just concerned, okay? The less things we all need right now is an explosion between you and Brad, and you still need him at Newman enterprises, don’t tell me it’s not true”

Victor said “I wish it wasn’t, would have made things far more easier...but I promised you I’ll try and I intend to keep my word, or do my best, anyway”

Nikki smiled “I appreciate it, more then you know”

Suddenly she asked “If you had a business meeting, why are you still there?”

Victor grimaced, he didn’t want to tell her just yet, didn’t want her to get her hopes up “There was another reason”

Nikki asked “What?”

Victor said “Hmmm...okay, I’ll tell you, another reason which I stayed was to consult with someone regarding Nicholas’s case...”

Nikki was surprised “Really? With whom?”

Victor explained “His name is professor Rockwell, He is a very well known psychiatrist that dealt with a lot of amnesia cases, this is also why I left like this, without letting you know, I’m sorry for that, he currently lives in the south of France, and happened to be in the states for two days, I got word about it just after you left and headed there. Anyhow I have another meeting with the psychiatrist in the morning, there was no point for me to fly back and forth”

Nikki asked hurriedly “What did you talk to him about?”

Victor sighed “Nothing worth mentioning right now, the real meeting is tomorrow morning, I only made sure he will get the information regarding Amy’s situation, and understand the urgency of our situation, he will review it and we will meet tomorrow”

Nikki asked “What are you hoping to accomplish? I mean, why did you went to see him for, is this about the plan you mentioned earlier? What is it about?”

Victor said “Yes it is, I want to get a second opinion about Amy going to Matt’s apartment, maybe it would jog her memory...Doctor Haming is not thrilled, I wanted to get another opinion... but sweetheart, I don’t want us to get our hopes up, he may think it’s a bad idea ”

Nikki said “My hopes, you mean?”

Victor said “Not just yours, mine as well...the more I think of it the more I realize it’s the perfect plan to bring Amy to her senses... if it will work...” His voice faltered as he pondered the possibilities of their success.

Nikki said “Okay...I promise not to count on that, and you promise to tell me everything that happened later”

Victor said quietly “And I promise I’ll tell you...anyway, this is the reason I didn’t call...I tried to call you once but no one picked up the phone and I’ve been terribly busy afterwards”

Nikki regretted being upset with him, he sounded so tired on the phone “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that, I just... couldn’t understand why you never called me...I didn’t mean to get upset with you.... I didn’t know where you were, and I was getting a little worried and, well... a little angry....and...”

She hushed up and he asked her “What were you going to say?”

Nikki raised her feet to the bed and pulled her knees closer to herself and whispered “...I really missed you...”

Victor paused and then asked her slowly “You did?”

Nikki asked him quietly “Did you doubt that?”

Victor said “A little bit, yes”

Nikki said “Then don’t... please?...” she stopped and wiped a tear away from her eye “Because I thought about you all day long...”

Victor asked her tenderly “Are you crying?...”

That just made Nikki sniff harder as she tried to stop “No... yes...no...it’s just that... it had been such a long day... it’s so good to hear your voice” she said, trying to suppress her tears.

Victor closed his eyes and told her “As for me to hear yours....”

Nikki said “I think that what really bothered me is that we left so many issues open...”

Victor said “You mean about Hope and me?”

Nikki answered “Yea...”

Victor said “Let me ask you something, do you honestly believe my feelings for you are a result of mine and hope divorce? That I’m on sort of a rebound”

Nikki said “I don’t know, I’m asking you...I think I need...to hear you say that”

Victor paused and said nothing while on the other line, Nikki, sitting curled up on the bed listened with expectation....

Victor said “My divorce from Hope has nothing to do with what is going on between us now”

Nikki breath out a big breath she has been holding...and Victor continued... “I won’t deny that my whole separation from Hope and my son was not the easiest time on me, I was hurt, you know that, I confided in you about that many times... but what we have... what we rediscovered in the last few months... it’s....”

Nikki asked him “It’s what?”

Victor took a deep breath and said “It’s like something in me came to life again...something I haven’t felt for a long, long time...I can’t... I can’t explain it...”

Nikki whispered “Try...”

Victor said with a smile “You know, that’s not fair...”

Nikki wrapped her hands around her knees and asked him “What isn’t?”

Victor said “I don’t know how you feel... at all”

Nikki said “Oh... you know how I feel”

Victor said “No I don’t... you keep pulling away from me, and you haven’t said a word about... how you truly feel”

Nikki said “I...I know I confused you...”

Victor said “Yes, you did, you still do... you’re usually a lot more...”

Nikki laughed and completed the word for him “Aggressive?”

Victor smiled “I was going to say stright forward...”

Nikki rolled her eyes and said with a smile “The little differences....”

Victor said “So I’m asking you...”

Nikki tried to play innecont “Asking me what?”

Victor said “Nikki...”

Nikki started saying something and just couldn’t and said “I can’t do It like that, it seems so wrong for us to have that conversation on the phone”

Victor asked her “Are you sure you’re not just, just doesn’t want to say that?”

Nikki shook her head “No... we’ve been through so much, we are trying so hard to make it right this time, so there will be no doubt, and no insecurities... when we’ll say that... what we feel, I don’t want us to be in two different rooms, miles and miles away from each other...”

Victor said slowly “I suppose I can understand it...But I still think there is more to it than just the distance”

Nikki said emotionally “Maybe you’re right...I still need to work through some things”

Victor asked “And you don’t want to share those things with me”

Nikki said softly “Maybe I will, when I will know what they are and what to say but nevertheless...it meant *so much* to me, what you said, I want you to know how important it was for me to hear you say that”

Victor said “I meant just as much to me to say that...So.. no more insecurities?”

Nikki nodded “Aha...”

Victor inquired with a little smile “And what about jealousy?”

Nikki cleaned her throat and said with a small smile “Just like you don’t care anymore about Brad and the fact he still wants me back”

Victor laughed “That’s not fair, Hope doesn’t want me back, she walked out on me and took our son with her, she is not here trying to get me back every time you turn your back, Brad Carlton, on the other hand, is in my face most of the day”

Nikki smiled “Okay, bad example...”
 
 

At the tack house, Victoria lied on her stomach, fully clothed with a pained expression on her face, she wasn’t feeling well at all, her head hurts and her stomach was bugging her.

She sent her eyes up to her husband, so consumed with his writing as usual he didn’t even notice she wasn’t feeling well.

“I’m his wife” She thought angrily “I feel so bad and he won’t even notice” she whined “Cole...”

“Hmmmm?” was the only response she got from her husband.

Vicki said “Can you maybe leave the computer and spend a few moments with me”

Cole said distractedly “Just a second Vicki, I’m working on a really good scene here”

Vicki asked him “Oh really? What scene?”

Cole muttered “A love scene... oh yea, now that’s sound much better, it’s just what Kayla would do...”

Vicki rolled her eyes “I hope Kayla is getting something...I sure as hell don’t!”

Cole said impatiently “Vicki, hold on, I’ll be with you in a second...”

Victoria rolled over to the other side of the bed and said “Forget about it”....
 
 

Victor smiled and let go of the subject and asked her “So, what have you been doing today?”

Nikki said sadly “I went to see Nicholas...”

Victor asked “And?”

Nikki shrugged sadly “Nothing new, he wouldn’t let me see him...”

Victor told her softly “I’m so sorry”

Nikki sniffed “I should have known by now, but I hoped... I wished he would agree to see me”

Victor told her “I’m sorry he won’t, I think it would made it easier on the both of you”

Nikki sighed and said “Well, I had a rather interesting lunch”

Victor asked her “Oh really? With whom?”

Nikki let out a smile “Luan Abbot”

Victor asked in surprise “Jack Abbot's wife”

Nikki nodded “Yes”

Victor said “I didn’t realize you two know each other”

Nikki said “Today was the first time we met every since she and Jack got married, she came look for Jack and ran into me, we started talking and made a decision to have lunch later...”

Victor inquired “Wasn’t it a little awkward for the both of you?”

Nikki said “You know I thought it would be, but she’s such an easy person to talk to, It happened we had a lot in common, she knows what it’s like to be away from a child, I thnik we kinda bonded over that, she certainly been through a lot on her life...”

Victor nodded in understanding “Oh, that’s right, her son Keemo was lost in Vietnam for a long time”

Nikki said “Yea, so we talked a little about it, a little about Jack” She gave out a laugh “He showed up and was absolutely mortified when he saw us together, you should have seen the expression on his face”

Victor chuckled “I can’t say that I blame him, had I been in his shoes”

Nikki rolled her eyes “It is unlikely you ever will, so don’t lose any sleep over it”

Victor laughed and said “So, what did he say?”

Nikki wrinkled her nose “Well, lets just say I should have kept my mouth shut since he paid me back of telling her all about my wild years and god only knows what she think of me now”

Victor laughed “Wild years...The dancing, you mean”

Nikki sighed “luckily, it’s as far as he got”

Victor said “Well, it’s quite a story you know”

Nikki said with a smile “That turned into a love story...”

Victor said longingly “A wonderful love story...”

Nikki whispered “I remember every single moment from it, as if it was yesterday...”

Victor laughed and said “It feels so good talking to you...”

Nikki smiled “For me too... it was definitely the highlight of my day”

Victor asked “Did you just arrive home when I called or what?”

Nikki asked puzzled “No, Why?”

Victor commented “Because It took you a really long time to answer the phone, where were you?”

Nikki said “Oh, I was just in the shower...”

A smile crept up to Victor’s lips “The shower... now that’s interesting...”

Nikki choked slightly “How come...?”

Victor asked her in a lust ridden voice “What were you thinking about, while you were taking your shower, hmmm?”

Nikki opened her mouth to speak and yet no words came out as she recalled exactly what she was thinking about, she answered coyly “That darling.. is none of your business...”

Victor told her “Really? I think it is...”

Nikki’s breath was coming out a little shorter now “Oh you do?”

Victor answered “Aha...”

Nikki said in a whisper “So why won’t YOU tell me... what was I thinking of”

Victor, who was walking around the room during his talk with Nikki set on the bed, leaned against the pillow and said “You were thinking about you, and me the other day in the shower, underneath the hot water....”

Nikki’s eyes closed as she just listened to his voice...

“Me leathering your body with soap.... remember all of that?”

Nikki barely answered “Mr Newman... are you trying by any chance to have a dirty phone call with me?”

Victor smiled “Is it working?”

Nikki said “Oh yes...”

Victor asked her “So... Do you remember that?”

Nikki replied in hoarse whisper “Burnt in my memory...So...what about you? ...Do you remember me running my fingernails across your back? Kissing you.... making love to you?”

Victor answered huskily “I recall everything, every single second... very vividly...”

Nikki replied “So do I...”

Victor suddenly said “Come to Chicago”

Nikki snapped out of her dream like mode “What?”

Victor asked her “Don’t you want to?”

Nikki asked him “You want me to come now?”

Victor replied “Yes, it’s not that late, the jet is there, I sent it back to GC... you can be here in less than two hours, than none of us will have to spend the night alone...And you can come with me tomorrow to hear what the psychiatrist has to say”
 

Nikki was more than tempted but at the moment Victoria’s voice was heard from downstairs “Mom? Mom are you here?”

Victor heard her through the phone and said “Is that Victoria? What’s wrong?”

Nikki distractedly said “I don’t know, I’ll go and see, don’t hang up”

Victor smiled “Wouldn’t dream of it...”

At that moment there was a knock on the door, Nikki hide the receiver and said “Come in!”

A not too hot looking Victoria walked into the room “Mom, do you have any pain killers here? Or something for my Stomach?”

Nikki looked at her with concern “Are you okay?”

Victoria slumped on the bed next to her mother and started whining “No, I’m not okay, I’m as sick as a dog and my husband couldn’t care less, he makes love to his computer every night and forget all about me, I am feeling bad and he won’t even notice because he is working on a “very important scene” he is too busy to make me a miserable cup of tea”

Nikki gently inquired “Did you tell him you weren’t feeling well?”

Vicki sniffed “No, I’m not suppose to, he is my husband, he should be able to tell and maybe spoil me a little bit... but no, oh no, Cole Howard is much to busy for that!”

Nikki caressed her daughter’s hair “Calm down, okay? What’s hurting you?”

Vicki wailed "I have the most horrible tummy ache...mom, just tell me where the Aspirin is so I could get some?”

Nikki said “In the bathroom across the hall, and just before I went up Miguel made tea so there should be some, Do you want me to get it for you? Hmmm?” and touched her daughter’s cheek.

Vicki, a little embarrassed she is coming to her mother to play the baby said “No, that’s okay, I can get it myself...” and she got out of the bed, Nikki grabbed her hand and said “Hey, come back here later, I want to talk to you”

Vicki silently nodded and walked out of the room, Nikki stared at her a few moments with concern and then picked up the receiver “You heard?”

Victor answered “Yea... what is going on with them?”

Nikki shook her head with concern “I don’t know, I don’t know and they worry me.. I really want to try to talk to her”

Victor sighed deeply “I guess that means you won’t come out here....”

Nikki said passionately “Not because I don’t want to, I can’t go right now, she won’t understand where I took off too, it would be too difficult to excuse....”

Victor said “I know, I know you’re right...it’s probably for the best”

Nikki said quietly “It probably is... although I did want to see you...”

Victor whispered “We can make up for that tomorrow night...”

Nikki said softly “New years eve...oh...it brings back so many memories... our first real kiss”

Victor smiled “I don’t know how I held out as much as I did, you were such a little temptress...”

Nikki grinned “Hey, still is...”

Victor said “I’m very much aware of that...”

Nikki said sadly “It’s also our son birthday...Oh Victor, it’s so unfair, spending his birthday, in jail, away from his family...”

Victor sighed and said “Hopefully, we will have something to celebrate tomorrow....”

Nikki said “You mean if Amy will remember something”

Victor said, deep in thoughts “Yea.. I pray for that, it better work Nikki”

Nikki said with teary eyes “I hope so... it would be the most amazing new years eve gift...”

Victor told her “I honestly think it would work... and that we will have something to celebrate, both of us... what do you say we will make a date?”

Nikki asked with a smile “A date?”

Victor said “Yes, a very special date... the colonnade room, the privet dinning room... only you and I...”

Nikki said, choking on hopeful, happy tears “it sound wonderful... more than wonderful, amazing...”

Victor asked her “You’ll come then?”

Nikki whispered “I wouldn’t miss that for the world...”

There was a silence and Victor said “You better go and talk with Victoria...”

Nikki said slowly “I know... I just... finding it difficult to hang up”

Victor told her “For me too... “

Nikki said softly “Even long distance...it was so good to talk to you, it makes me feel so much better... how do you do that to me?”

Victor answered “Just the way you’re doing that to me...My dreams today will be filled with nothing but you”

Nikki said with a smile “If you wake up in the middle of the night, and feel... the urge to call and share them with me, you are more than welcome...”

Victor whispered in a voice filled with desire “I just might....”

Nikki suddenly heard Victoria going up the stairs “Victoria is coming, I have to hang up...”

Victor said “Tomorrow, then....”

Nikki replied, a yearning look in her eyes “Tomorrow....”

She closed the phone slowly and turned her focus back to Victoria who just walked into the room.
Victor closed down the phone and lied down on the bed, closing his eyes and letting his mind wander...