Chapter Thirty Two - New years eve....
“Where could he be?” Nikki asked herself as she slammed down the phone for the forth time in the last hour.
She had been looking for Victor for the entire day, she knew what he had hoped would happen should Amy enter Matt’s apartment, but that was suppose to happen over 5 hours ago.
She had talked to Victor twice in the early morning, First he called to tell her that the psychiatrist approved of his plan... and later that he and Amy headed to Matt’s apartment.
She prayed it worked so badly!
They were supposed to meet at the colonnade around 9, she was already fully dressed in her new evening gown, a deep purple gown she had bought a few weeks ago... but as that hour approached and there was no word from Victor, who promised he would call to tell her how it went, and since she called the colonnade and heard it wasn’t even booked for tonight she grew more and more worried that something went wrong.
She tried to call Victor to his cell, apartment, Newman enterprises... nothing... again.
She looked out the window, it was a surprisingly not snowing, the skies were clear.
It was new years eve, a brand new year and she felt so scared for what might have happened.
She wondered where Victoria was, she tried to talk to her about what was going on in her marriage last night but decided to spare her since she wasn’t feeling so well, she stayed to sleep in her old room, by the time Cole came over Victoria was asleep, she slept later then Nikki did this morning but obviously felt better because she went to work.
She came down the tack-room to look for Cole earlier to have a word with him but he wasn’t there as well, she hoped they were spending new years eve together.
She sighed deeply, Victoria was on edge ever since Nicholas went into jail and lacked any kind tolerance for Cole and his writer muse.
Nikki couldn’t blame her much, she liked a lot Cole but knew he could be hard to live with as he was so totally focused on his writing and Vicki wanted attention from her husband, especailly now.
In her heart agreed with her daughter that Cole should spend more time with her, especailly now.
She sighed sadly, this was exactly her and Victor’s problem when they were married, and she knew it could destroy a marriage if not dealt with.
She looked at the watch for the 6 time in the last ten minutes and decided she’s not waiting anymore, she wrapped her coat around herself, took her purse and walked out the door.
Nikki approached Victor’s building and got inside the lobby, Melvin, the tall well built man who was the Newman’s buildings doorman for the last decade greeted her somberly “Hello Mrs. Abott”
Nikki smiled to him “Good evening Melvin... Is everything okay?”
Melvin didn’t respond and said “I don’t know if I should say anything ma’am”
Nikki looked at him confused and he said “It’s Mr Newman, Ma’am?”
Nikki was surprised “Victor is home?!”
Melvin nodded “Yes Ma’am, he arrived a few hours ago”
Nikki shook her head in confusion and muttered to herself “I don’t get it, I called so many times...”
She looked up at Melvin with concern “Was he okay?”
Melvin was quite for a while so Nikki inquired further “Melvin?”
Melvin said “He didn't’ seem like himself, at least not like I ever seen him”
Nikki looked thoughtful and sad “Can you ring and tell him I’m here?”
Melvin shook his head “I’m sorry Mrs. Abbott, but he clearly asked not to be disturbed”
Nikki used her best charming voice on Melvin “Melvin, please let me in, I’m worried about him”
Melvin looked at her for a few moments and responded “Alright, but that just because it’s you”
Nikki smiled “I appreciate it Melvin, thank you... hmmm... I will also need your spare for the apartment... I thought I’d just wait here at the lobby till he returns, I didn’t expect to find Victor home”
Melvin just nodded and they both headed up.
Nikki used the key and opened the penthouse door very quietly, peeking around, the room was dimly lit.
She entered the apartment slowly, closing the door quietly together, and then she spotted Victor, standing next to the window, staring out...wearing his robe.
She called out his name softly “Victor...”
He didn't answer her and didn’t even looked like he heard her, she approached him from behind and put her hand on his back softly and asked again “Victor?”
He turned around sharply, but his eyes softened when he saw her “Hey sweetheart”
Nikki tried to smile at him without looking too concerned, but didn't succeeded “I called and I called, and there was no answer, so I came here...”
Her voice faltered as Victor didn’t even make eye contact with her, and she shivered as she saw how sad he looked, he looked down to the floor and she approached him “Victor, what happened? I Know you were suppose to take Amy to Matt’s apartment... did something went wrong?”
Victor did not reply and buried his face in his hand, inhaling deeply.
Nikki implored him “Please tell me”
Victor looked at her sadly and went toward the couch and slumped heavily on it, Nikki followed him and sat down next to him, looking at him, afraid and concerned.
Victor finally directed his look to her, he said “Matt Clark showed up while we were there...”
Nikki’s mouth opened with horror, Victor sighed and continued “Needless to say it was extremely traumatizing to an already very fragile young girl... Amy is just on her road back to recovery, it might be a major setback”
Nikki put her hand on her mouth and asked shakily ”Do you think that what happened? That all the progress with her is lost?”
Victor shook his head “I don’t know..” He sighed deeply and shook his head sadly “It may very well be the end of our hopes, she was the lead we needed to free our son... and now...” he looked at Nikki who looked at him tearfully “If she suffers a setback now there’s no telling how long it would take to get Nicholas out of there”
Nikki shook her head, refusing to believe that “Don’t say it, oh Victor.. please don’t say it..” tears rolled from her eyes and she asked him fearfully “What did the psychiatrist said?”
That seemed to further upset Victor as he turned his head away “Doctor Haming was against me doing it to begin with, she didn’t agree with Doctor Rockwell who said that it might help, and even he didn’t want to make a hasty decision without seeing Amy himself, she claimed I was pushing Amy too hard, and now it seems like she was right...”
He paused and continued “I insisted that we should do it tonight and now it looks like I have done more hard then good in my impatience to free our son”
He turned to Nikki who had tears rolling down her cheeks and said quietly “The last thing I ever wanted to do is inflict anymore pain on that poor girl, who has been through enough, I want to free Nicholas with all that is in me, but not in the price of Amy’s sanity...if I have hurt her I will never forgive myself Nikki”.
He lowered his look to the floor, looking despondent and dejected.
Nikki looked at him in pain and took him in her arms without a moment hesitation, holding him close “Oh darling... don’t do that to yourself, please...You did what you thought was right, I know you didn’t mean any harm to come to her” She whispered soothingly into his ear.
Victor responded to her hug and wrapped his arms around her, inhaling on the scent of her hair, drawing comfort from her soft, comforting touch and said quietly “I am so glad you’re here”
Nikki looked at him and held his face with both her hands “Where else would I be? We did had a date I wasn’t going to break”
Victor finally looked down and saw her sitting on his sofa with an evening gown that was now getting all wrinkled...regret covered his features “I’m so sorry sweetheart, I totally forgot”
Nikki hushed him “Shh... it doesn’t matter, I don’t mind...it’s just when you didn’t call or ordered a place at the colonnade I figured something had gone wrong and came here...”
Victor said regretfully “I was hoping we would have something to celebrate a major breakthrough with Amy, that we would finally have a reason to hope our son would be back home soon... and now we might be back to where we started... if not worse”
Nikki asked him “So, what’s now?”
Victor shrugged “We wait till morning, and hopefully she will have a better idea what is her condition now, she was pretty traumatized when we got her back to the facility”
Nikki shook her head in sad frustration “So we wait...again...”
Victor said sadly “I don’t see what other choice we have, I am just grateful we had the good sense not to say anything to Nicholas, it would have been a terrible blow to him”
An anguished sob escaped her lips as Victor pulled her toward him, she buried her face on his shoulder and managed to say between sobs “I had hoped so much we will have good news for him Victor, it’s his birthday for god sake! He doesn’t deserve to spending it in prison, it’s the one, single most perfect gift we could have given him! And we can’t... we just...”
A tear rolled on Victor’s cheek as he wrapped one hand around her waist and the other sent to caresses her hair “I know...we just have to hope and pray things are not as bad as they look, and once Amy get over the initial trauma she will get her memory back, and hopefully the evidence we need to acquit Nicholas” ...
Nikki gradually calmed down and just rested her cheek against his shoulder and said quietly “Do you really believe that would happen? You looked so depressed when I walked through the door”
She sent her eyes up to him, looking for an answer.Victor shook his head doubtfully “I don’t know, I’d like to think I believe everything will be alright... But frankly I don’t know what to believe anymore, I honestly thought I could make a difference, frighten Matt Clark out of his wits that night at the morgue, enough to confess Nicholas wasn’t the one who shot him, make Amy remember, get Nicholas the hell out of there!”
He sighed as Nikki looked at him sadly “I believed I could make all of these things happened and I haven’t managed to accomplish even one of those things, so what I believe shouldn’t really matter”
Nikki tried to make him feel better “Victor, you accomplished more than most men could have, you found Amy, you got her the best medical care there is, and the fact that you keep trying is what is most important and this is really not the time to start doubting yourself, especailly when there is no reason to it, Nicholas needs you to fight his battle since he can’t do it from inside the prison...”
Victor, still unsure got up and walked to the fire place, trying to absorb what Nikki had said, she got up after him and wrapped her arms around him from behind, he turned and looked at her and said “I know you’re right in my head, in my heart....” he said slowly “It’s a totally different matter”
Nikki said “I know, and I want you to know that I do understand”
Victor looked at her and for the first time this evening, he let out a sad smile “I know you do, no one understand me more then you”
Nikki smiled back “The feeling is quite mutual, and just know that on occasion you *can* let yourself lean on me, too”
Victor smiled to her lovingly and didn’t reply, and she inquired “Think you can bring yourself to do that? To lean on me for change?”... she added with a smile “Since it’s usually the other way around...”
Victor looked at her for a long moment and said warmly, standing very close to her “But only because it’s you”
She looked at him sensitively and asked him with concern “Now, tell me the truth, did you had anything to eat today?”
Victor looked at her, a little amused “Now, but how did you know that?”
Nikki answered with a knowing smile “Because I can hear your stomach gurgling all the way up to hear”
Victor smiled and said “But You know, I’m just not feeling very hungry”
Nikki titled her head and said “Now, every time we’ve met during the last few weeks YOU were forcing me to eat even though it was the last thing on my mind, now it’s my turn, sit down and I’ll go check what’s in your fridge...
Victor said “Well, alright but I don’t think there’s anything there...”
Nikki stepped into the kitchen and opened his fridge and it was, indeed, very, very empty....She closed it with a sign and called to him “You were right...” She went back to the living room, and went to the phone and started dialing.... Victor, sited on the couch asked her “Who are you calling?”
Nikki held up her hand to shush him while he smiled at her...
“Hello, head of the towers?, yes this is Nikki Abbot, I’m just 20 floors above you at Mr Newman Apartment and I would like dinner for two....Yes I am aware it is new years eve but I am not asking to book a table I just want some food delivered up here.....Okay... yes, yes that would be wonderful, no, no wine... and, if you can arrange that, coffee, please? Yes, yes.... thank you very much”
She hung up and looked at Victor with a gentle smile “Instant dinner for two, coming right up...luckily for you, I am not the one that's going to make it” she tried to say that cheerfully but her eyes clouded again....
Victor said quietly “I appreciate that sweetheart....” He looked at her, standing by the phone, her eyes getting a a sad, far away gaze to them and she knew what she must be thinking of, or who... he said “Come here...”
Nikki tearfully approached him, her dress rustling and sank on the couch next to him, leaning back against him, wrapping his arms around herself protectivly....
