Chapter 2 - The One With The Commitment Issues

As Arik looked across the table at Kerri and Sitara, he wondered how those two became such good friends. Wasn’t it supposed to be really awkward?

Suddenly, everybody at the other side of the table—all the girls and Drake—except for Sitara burst out with a “what?!”

Sitara nodded and shushed them.

They all screamed in excitement and went in for a group hug.

“Can we tell them?” Mel asked Sitara excitedly. “Can we? Can we?”

“Please say we can tell!” Drake begged her.

“I don’t know…I promised him that—”

“Please!” Everybody at the table begged her.

“Fine, but only when he’s not around.”

Kerri rushed over to Arik, and he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. “What gossip have you been fed with now?” he asked her.

Sitara’s getting married.

Arik choked on his water and fell off his chair. “What?”

You heard me. She’s engaged.

Um.

Well?

Um. Good for them?

I don’t know why you act so weird around Sitara.

She’s an ex of mine. Of course I act weird around her. I don’t know how to act around my exes. I don’t usually stay good friends with them after I’ve screwed them.

She whacked him on the arm. You’re so vulgar. Now go and congratulate Sitara.

He looked at her pleadingly, but she pointed over to where Sitara was sitting. “Go. Now.”

Reluctantly Arik got up and went over to Sitara. “Well, I just heard,” he said after a while.

“Oh…yeah.”

“So…uh…congratulations.”

“Thank you, Arik. I hope you don’t—”

“No, no, it’s okay. I’m really happy for both of you. It’s just that…it’s kind of awkward for me.”

“I understand.” Sitara hugged him. Arik hugged her back after a while.

“Congratulations again.”

“Thank you. Are you going to ask…” she trailed off, raising her eyebrows at Kerri. “Are you going to ask her any time soon?”

He grinned. “Wouldn’t want to steal your thunder.”

She grinned back. “Nothing can possibly steal my thunder. I mean, I’m the big bad wolf that’s somehow for some reason on the good guys’ side. Nothing can possibly top that.”

He laughed, and then shrugged after a while. “I guess…we’re both happy to stay where we are right now. Don’t want it to go too fast, you know?”

Sitara shook her head knowingly. “Just admit that you have commitment problems, Arik.”

“I did for a while after you left,” Arik said, annoyed. “But I have no problems to committing since I’ve met Kerri. In fact, she’s the one who probably has commitment problems.”

“What?”

“Two weeks ago before she left for the C.E. I accidentally uh, insinuated something about us getting married and she kind of freaked out on me a little.”

“Huh. Interesting. So are you ready for marriage?” she asked him.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably. I mean, why not? I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her anyway, which also brings me to my second question: why? I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her anyway.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Men.”

“Women.”

“Arik?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t tell Joshua that I told you this. He hasn’t actually proposed yet, but he said he was going to some time.”

Arik smiled. “He’s going to propose tomorrow night.”

“How do you know?”

“Tomorrow is the exact date that you were taken from the Sterling. I should know.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He rejoined Kerri, who was joking around with Carter.

***

They were messing around on the bed when he rolled on top of her.

She grinned. “What?” she asked him. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking back to what Sitara said earlier today.”

“What did she say?”

He shrugged. He felt a probing around his mind and he immediately tried to shut his mind out against her, but he was too late.

Damn she was quick.

You want to marry me?

No. I mean, yes. I mean, I wouldn’t mind doing it.

Sitara told you to marry me?

Maybe.

That’s a stupid answer. You know I can always find out for myself.

Arik sighed. No, she asked me when I was going to propose to you.

And you said, I quote, “we’re both happy to stay where we are right now”? Really?

Well, aren’t you happy?

Yes.

Then what’s the problem?

I never said there was a problem. I was just asking.

Okay. Arik paused. Well…do you want to? Get married, I mean.

I don’t know. Maybe. Just…

Not now?

Not now, she agreed.

Arik breathed a sigh of relief. Not that I don’t want to, or anything, but—

But you have commitment problems.

I do not have commitment problems! Why does everybody say that?

Maybe we should take a look at the number of girlfriends you’ve had for the past three years, Kerri said drily. I’m surprised you haven’t screwed every single girl in the company already.

I’m insulted.

She kissed him. I’m just saying. You have commitment problems. Just admit it.

“I do not commitment problems!” Arik burst out. “Why does everybody say that?”

“Who’s everybody?”

“You and Sitara.”

“Hm, let’s see. One’s a current girlfriend, and one’s an ex-girlfriend. And guess what? They’re telling you that you have commitment problems. Live with it.”

Arik growled, and when he realised he couldn’t do anything about it, he sulked.

Like a little boy, Kerri teased him.

He continued to sulk.

Aw, is Ricky in need of comforting, then?

Extremely so. Make it up to me. Now.

You’re sexy when you’re demanding.

I’m always sexy.

That’s…debatable.

You’re supposed to be making it up to me.

Please. I’m Kerri. I don’t make up to my Mate.

No? How about just making out with him, then?

Gladly.

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