Second Chances - A Nicole Walker Adventure

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

In this spinoff series, Nicole starts a new life in another town called Pigeon Falls, only to come face to face with a painful part of her past.

Chapter One: Nicole's Decision

Miles’ office door had been closed all afternoon, something that mattered a lot less to Nicole than to Sally. Sally kept stopping what she was doing, staring mournfully at the door and saying,

“They’ve been talking for a long time, haven’t they?”

Nicole shrugged and went on with what she was doing, which was checking out some info her hospital source had given her about what was going on with John Black. “There has to be something I can use to help Eric nail that witch,” she said under her breath.

“You’re STILL hung up on that guy?” Sally asked. “Come on, girl, he’s cute and all, but you gotta face facts. Any guy whose head isn’t turned by a woman like you just isn’t worth it.”
Nicole sighed. Sally was more an acquaintance than a friend--not that Nicole had many friends left these days, anyway--and she wanted to keep it that way. But still, a part of her wanted to be able to talk guys with another woman. She’d never been able to do that. Besides, Nicole’s feelings for Eric were Salem’s worst kept secret, so she might as well confide in Sally.

“Maybe I’m the one who’s not worth it,” Nicole said.

“Of course you are.”

“You do know what I did, right?” Nicole said. Sally commuted to Salem every day from Chicago, so she might have missed some of the gossip and nasty rumors.

“Mmm hmm. But you did it for love.” Sally’s eyes were wide and full of admiration. She looked down when she saw Nicole looking. “Every guy should want someone who got a little crazy in them, I say. But if he doesn’t see it that way, well, his loss.”

“Oh, but he does. He just can’t admit it to himself. But someday he will.”

“Keep dreaming, girl,” Sally said. Nicole glared at her. “No, seriously, keep dreaming. I would have given up a long time ago, but you never do. I guess that’s why you get the big stories and I…” Sally glanced at the closed door. “Well, I’m lucky if Miles isn’t asking the station manager right now how he can get rid of me.”

“You? Why?”

“Don’t you ever listen to anything I say? I told you, every day it’s a battle between my chest and Miles’ eyes. No matter how much I try to cover up, there he is staring at me. And you know that if you don’t play the game in this business, you don’t get ahead. And me… well, I can’t play. I won’t.”

“If Miles is staring at your chest so is half of Salem. The ratings on your show are going through the roof.”

Before Sally could respond, Miles stuck his head out. “Nicole. I need to see you.”
Nicole quickly minimized her screen so nobody could steal her story from her before it was ready. As she got up, Sally brushed her wrist with her fingertips. “Nicole,” she whispered. “Put a good word in for me while you’re in there, okay?”

When Nicole came into Miles’ office a minute later, the station manager was standing by the side of Miles’ desk. He was a short guy with a long face that was half hidden by his beard. He looked like he was trying to be intimidating, but of course it didn’t work on her. She doubted it worked on most people.

“This is Matt Rosen,” Miles said, “otherwise known as my boss.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Matt Rosen told Nicole. “And that piece you did on those teens who participated in Salem Community Day… amazing.”

“Yeah, well I do my best.” Nicole flashed an insincere smile. She was worth more than fluff pieces and she’d made sure Miles knew it at the time.

“Yes, you do.” Rosen’s smile was equally insincere. “That’s why I think--and I’m sure you’ll find Miles agrees--that you’re the best person to send on special assignment to Pigeon Falls.”

“Pigeon Falls? Where is that, somewhere east of Hooterville? No, thank you. There are plenty of stories I am happy to cover right here in Salem.”

Rosen and Miles exchanged glances. Miles cleared his throat and said, “I don’t think you have a choice.”

“What do you mean? Of course I have a choice. Right now I’m working on a couple of things over at the hospital. There’s a huge story about Dimera corruption and the care of John Black. My source hasn’t given me the go-ahead yet, but any day now - “

“Nicole, sweetheart,” Miles said in that patronizing way that made Nicole want to knock all his teeth in. “You’re one of my best reporters, but we both know that these hospital stories aren’t news. They’re about you trying to get back in that surgeon’s good graces...what’s his name...Daniel Jonas...or maybe that ex-priest you almost married, whose story you have failed to deliver to me over and over. And darling, your sorry excuse for a love life doesn’t raise ratings.”

“You’re not part of my love life, so don’t call me sweetheart!” Nicole snapped. “And I don’t need the reminder that my life is sad and pathetic, especially since it’s none of your business. And for your information, there is a big story, and when I deliver it you will be falling all over yourselves thanking me for getting an exclusive everyone else would kill for. I just need a few more days, so be patient.”

“That’s not time we have,” Rosen said. “I wasn’t going to bring this up, but our ratings on your show are falling.” He picked up a stack of papers. “People don’t like you, Ms. Walker. They don’t like what you did to your ex-boyfriend. They don’t like that you shredded evidence and lied about it for months. They’re threatening to stop watching if we don’t fire you. Now we don’t want to do that - “

“Why not?” Nicole demanded. “I am so tired of explaining myself to everyone in town, and you know what? I shouldn’t have to. Go ahead and fire me if I’m so disgusting to you. But don’t pat yourself on the back for taking the moral high ground, not on this or on anything you do for ratings.” She picked up her purse and headed for the door.

“Nicole, wait.” Miles’ voice held a familiar note: fear. That seemed to be the only thing that ever drove anything he did. “Look, you don’t have to decide right away. But this could be a great opportunity for you. You could start over, get that ex-priest and that doctor out of your system, have a real effect on a tiny little community where nobody knows you yet.”

“And leave town with my head hung in shame and my tail between my legs? That may be what everybody wants, but that is the one thing I will never do.”

“Sleep on it. Give me your decision tomorrow morning and we’ll take it from there.” Miles tried to pat Nicole’s hand; she pulled away. “We would really hate to lose you.”

(continued in replies)

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

That afternoon, Nicole sat at one of the outdoor tables in Horton Town Square, sipping a martini and staring out without seeing what she was looking at. To fighting losing battles, she thought. She seemed to thrive on chasing after lost causes lately. Like Eric. Like Daniel. Like staying in Salem when everyone hated her.

Once before she’d been sitting at this table feeling sorry for herself and suddenly there was Daniel standing behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder, asking her if she wanted to talk. And she was surprised, and a little scared, because they weren’t friends yet and she’d already learned too well that you couldn’t trust anyone but yourself.

Now, as she swallowed a larger amount of her martini than she would have otherwise, she felt a hand on her shoulder again. She looked up, hopeful, but it wasn’t Daniel. It never would be again.
No, it was Brady, standing straight and tall now that he’d been sober a couple months, smiling a full-toothed smile at her. “You look like you don’t need that any more than I do,” he said.

“Well, you know, since you can’t drink I thought I’d do it for both of us.”

Nicole kept her tone light, but it didn’t fool Brady, who kicked the chair out across from her and sat down without being invited. “So who’d you run into that sparked a three-martini crisis? Was it my brother, or was it Daniel?”

“I haven’t had three martinis yet. Though another one’s not a bad idea.”

“Nicole.” Brady reached across the table and took Nicole’s hand. “I’m the last person to be talking about other people’s drinking, and I know that. But as much as you love my brother, he is not worth this, and neither is Daniel. You start off drinking to forget and before you know it you do something horrible that you can’t take back.”

“It’s a little late for that.”

“Drinking won’t put those papers you shredded back together any more than it’ll make my father whole again, or undo what I did with Kristen.”

“I knew it.” Nicole pulled away from Brady, but didn’t pick up her drink. Instead she played with the toothpick holding the olive. “I knew having one friend who wasn’t going to judge me was too much to ask for. Damn it, Brady, I know that talking about how I’m worse than Kristen is Salem’s favorite pasttime, but couldn’t you be that one person who doesn’t throw my mistakes in my face?”

“Hey. Listen to me.” Brady took Nicole’s hand again. His stare was intense, yet she couldn’t bring herself to look away. “I’m not...I’m not doing that. It’s just that some things can’t be undone. You and I… we’ve done too much damage already to our lives and to the people we love most and I don’t… I don’t want to see it keep happening.”

Nicole was quiet for a while. Brady said, “What, no snappy comeback?”

“Nah, I’m saving it all for my boss tomorrow. Brady, Miles wants to force me out of Salem.”
“What?”

“I should have seen it coming. First New Mexico, now he wants to transfer me to Pigeon Falls, the town so small you can’t even find it on the map. You know, I could live with Eric’s hatred. And Daniel’s. That’s all temporary and sooner or later they’ll both come to their senses. And I can live with people’s judgment because, really, I’m supposed to care what people who can’t see that the lily-white fences around their yards are dirty think? But for me to have to choose between having a job and staying here… for them to push me out of town… that’s just not going to happen, Brady, it’s not.”

“Maybe you’re looking at it wrong. They want to...to punish you and cut you down to size by sending you to this no-name town, right? But what if...this is crazy, but what if you seized this opportunity, gave it everything you’ve got and somehow knock ‘em dead so that the whole world is begging for you to come work for them? What’s Miles gonna say then?”

“You’re right,” Nicole said. “That is crazy.”

Brady’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it. “I gotta get back to the hospital and sit with my dad.”

“Go.” Nicole’s voice was soft. “I’ll be okay.”

Brady patted her hand before he took off. Nicole reached for her martini and took a sip, thinking. A plan was beginning to form in her mind.

Her phone buzzed. Nicole glanced at it. It was her source at the hospital. She picked up. “Hello? What? He’s awake! Yes, I definitely will want to see if I can get a statement. Thank you so much.”
Nicole picked up her purse, threw some money down on the table, and headed in the same direction Brady had gone in. Miles doesn’t know what he’s going to lose if he kicks me to the curb, she thought as she went to get her story.

(continued in next reply)

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

The door to John’s room was partially open when Nicole got to the nurse’s desk. She could see Brady sitting by his father’s bedside. Marlena was standing just behind him, her arm around him, while Daniel talked to them in a low voice. Eric, who was standing on Marlena’s other side, touched her shoulder and said something Nicole couldn’t hear.

If things had been different... if she hadn't screwed up or if Eric had loved her anyway, she'd be in that room right now, holding his hand, supporting him, reassuring him that Daniel knew what he was doing and John would soon be awake. Later on, when they were forced to go home and get some sleep, Eric would hold her in his arms and tell her he didn't know what he would do without her...

Someone leaned over and closed the door.

“Did you need something, Nicole?” Maxine Landis, the head nurse, asked from behind her.

"Not really. I wanted to see if Daniel could give me a statement about John Black's recovery, but he's busy, so I'll come back later."

"Mmm hmm. He is, and I am too, but that's not going to stop me from giving you some free advice."

"Hmmm...let me guess. Stay away from everybody, keep a low profile and leave town at the first opportunity because nobody wants me here."

"Not at all, though if I were you I'd drop the attitude so if someone comes along who wants to help you, you don't scare them off with all that vinegar. Now look, Daniel's not mad at you. Not really. He put his whole heart into helping you out of the mess you made for yourself and in the end it blew up in your face anyway. In his mind he failed, and for a man like Daniel Jonas that doesn't happen often. Right now every time he sees your face he remembers how it all went down. But if you give him a little time, the pain'll subside."

"Why are you telling me this anyway? Aren't you usually a one person cheerleading squad for Jennifer's relationship with Daniel?"

"Just because I'm rooting for those two to come to their senses doesn't mean I'm blind. if you ask me, both of you lost a good, loyal friend, and those aren't easy to come by."

Daniel came out of John's room just as Maxine walked off. His eyes met Nicole's and she, who used to know him better than she knew herself, could not tell what he was thinking.

"Nicole," Daniel said. "What are you doing here?"

"Good to see you too. But you know, I don't have time for another lecture about how horrible I am and how much you hate seeing me, plus I think I've heard it before, so unless you're ready to give me a statement about John Black,, I'm just going to go."

Daniel shook his head slightly. "That's what I thought," Nicole said, and walked off. She glanced back while she was waiting for the elevator. Daniel was rubbing the bridge of his nose the way he always did when he was upset. Nicole told herself she didn't care.

After getting a couple of statements from some nurses who wouldn’t say anything other than “Mr. Black can’t be disturbed” and talking to her source, who confirmed that Mr. Black was awake but was terrified of going on the record, Nicole was ready to head back to the station. Her mind wasn’t on her non-story, which Miles wouldn’t be thrilled with; her plan was crystallizing in her mind, and she knew exactly what she had to do.

As she walked through Horton Town Square on the way to the public parking lot, she heard JJ Deveraux calling her. Keep walking, Nicole, she thought, but she automatically stopped and turned around. “JJ,” she said, putting on her friendliest face in the hopes that it would defray the attack. “Hi.”

“I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve been wanting to say something to you for a while.”

“Well here I am, so spit it out.”

“Okay, here goes.” JJ breathed sharply. “I’m sorry I told Daniel and my mom you were eloping with Eric Brady. I swear, Nicole, I thought Daniel already knew, if I knew it was a secret I would have kept my mouth shut.”

“Wait, what?”

“The day you were gonna run off to Vegas. I heard you talking to that woman you worked with, and I’d just seen you at Daniel’s so I thought - “

“I know what happened.” Nicole realized too late how irritable she sounded. “I just thought I must have heard wrong. Why are you apologizing to me when all of Salem probably wanted to throw a parade in your honor because you showed Eric what a mistake it would be to marry me?”

“Okay, look, I know you ripped up those papers or whatever, but everyone’s being way hard on you. You did something stupid because you loved the guy. Anyway, if you’d blabbed what you heard about me and Theresa my life would be over and you didn’t. I didn’t want you to think I wouldn’t do the same for you.”

"Thanks." Nicole hesitated, then added, "Funny, the one person who has nothing to be sorry for is the only one that apologizes."

JJ shrugged. "A couple people didn’t give up on me when maybe they should have. You were one of them." His phone beeped and he said, "I gotta run. See you around."

"Hey, JJ?" Nicole called after him. When he turned around, she meant to ask him to try to get through to Daniel for her, but she just couldn't put him in the middle like that. "I'm glad Daniel was right about you," she said awkwardly.

JJ blushed but said nothing, just ran off.

(continued in next reply)

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

When Nicole got to the station, Sally's eyes widened and she said, "I didn't think you'd be back."

"Even Miles can't get rid of me that easily. I was just chasing down a story that didn't go anywhere."

"Oh. So what happened in there earlier?"

"No time to explain. Is Miles still in his office?"

Sally nodded. "Can't you give me something?"

"Watch my broadcast tonight," Nicole called over her shoulder as she ran into Miles' office.

Miles was not alone, which was as Nicole expected. She watched him and Rosen huddled over something, then said, “If you’re sharing classified information, you might want to up your security.”

“Kind of busy here, Ms. Walker,” Rosen said, not looking up. “You’ll have to give us a few minutes.”

“Yeah, I know that’s what you think, but I don’t think so.” Nicole came closer. “See, I’ve made my decision, and the two of you have a choice to make.”

“Nicole, please - “ Miles said, but Rosen said, “Let me handle this. Ms. Walker, I know you’re a lot of things, but I didn’t know delusional was one of them. Let me remind you that we are the ones in charge and you are the one whose job is on the line.”

Nicole laughed. “Right. Now, let’s get down to business. I’ll take the transfer to No Name Town on three conditions. One, this is temporary. If and when I decide I miss the daily tongue lashings and occasional beatings for being just as imperfect as everyone else in this town, I’m coming back and I expect to find this job waiting for me. Two, I get to have one of those swan song speeches on the air tonight telling everyone where I’m going and encouraging them to tune in. And three, while I’m gone, Sally will be taking over the stories I was working on here, including the exclusive I’m about to have on John Black, and she gets the same amount of air time on them that I would if I were here.”

“I don’t know who you think you are,” Rosen said, “but you don’t - “

“You might not know who I am,” Nicole interrupted, “but I do. So let me tell you. You know Victor Kiriakis, the multi-millionaire whose *bleep* you have to kiss in order to keep your jobs? Not only was I married to him, but I did what you just fantasize about: I tried to kill him. And even knowing that, he holds a grudging respect for me and even offered to get me free legal representation after I accidentally ran Kristen Dimera--someone else who you wouldn’t dare cross--off the road.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Why would I do that? Haven't you heard, I'm reformed these days except for misunderstanding what the man I love needs."

"So if we refuse to give in to your so-called conditions?"

"Then I walk out and go straight to see Eric's nephew and see if he can put a good word in for me. He's an upcoming rock star reporter...maybe you've heard of him? Will Horton. He works for the only media outlet in town sleazier than this one, so I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to destroy the competition, especially if I give him an exclusive interview about what happened to my old job."

Rosen's cheeks flushed. He glared at Nicole. "Speechless?" She asked. "Don't feel bad. I've been told I have that effect on a lot of people."

"No, Ms. Walker. Don't flatter yourself. I'm just trying to find the right words to tell you to go to hell."

“Matt,” Miles interjected, touching Rosen’s arm. “I think we might have been a little hasty… after all Nicole is one of our best reporters.” Miles turned towards Nicole. “Nicole, honey, of course your job will be waiting for you if you decide to come back to Salem. But I bet you won’t want to. Pigeon Falls is… well, it’s a dream. I’d go there myself but I can’t get away.” He smiled at both Nicole and Rosen; nobody smiled back. “Well,” he said, “anyway, just think of this as temporary. Some time away from Salem will do you good, let you get that edge back.”

“Miles, I really think - “

“My decision’s final,” Miles said. “If you disagree, take it up with Victor Kiriakis.” He turned back towards Nicole. “You have a final show to put on, and you’d better make it good so I can talk you up to your new boss in Pigeon Falls. I’m gonna call her right now.”

Nicole couldn’t help gloating. “By the way, Matt,” she said, “that’s how you tell someone to go to hell.” She left quickly, closing the door behind her.

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

As the cameras rolled in, Nicole stared down at her notes--not that she would need them once she got on the air, of course. Her conversations with JJ and with Miles kept running through her head. She’d been surprised to find out that each of them was actually on her side. Well, JJ was just a kid, and Miles did whatever would keep his precious ratings up. But still…

She’d felt like she’d been at war with everybody since that horrible day last spring when she’d lost Eric. That day, his eyes had been dead, his forehead browed, his lips, those soft lips that felt so right when hers touched them, were pressed into a snarl. He’d gotten that same look every time he’d seen her ever since. And the things he’d said to her… and then Daniel too… and Matt Rosen saying everyone in town hated her and nobody was watching her show…

And yet today, for the first time, she’d had a glimmer of hope.

<I?Focus, Nicole,</I> she told herself. She pushed her notes aside. She was ready to burn one last bridge.

She started out the news broadcast the same as always, leading with the story on John Black and reporting that there was nothing new beyond the fact that he was now awake. She sensationalized it the way Miles liked her to, making it sound like the big story was going to break any second now. Then she took a deep breath and said, “But not by me. Those of you who think I’m selfish and evil and that I deserve to be put on display in Horton Town Square as an example of what you don’t want your kids to be, you’ll be glad to know that I’m going on special assignment 300 miles away in a town you’ve never heard of called Pigeon Falls. So tomorrow, maybe you can get your friends who have been boycotting me to tune in to Sally Charles, who will be taking over my slot here in Salem until I come back.”

Nicole stopped for about half a second to breathe, then went on. “But you’re not quite rid of me yet. In fact, you’ll never really be rid of me because after I’m finished in Pigeon Falls, I’ll be right back here, running all over town getting the scoop on all your petty little secrets that you think are so important, sitting in this chair giving you the rundown on Salem like nobody else can. All that glaring at me and whispering things under your breath that you think I don’t hear hasn’t done a thing, so don’t feel too good about yourselves yet.

“I’ve been in Salem a long time, and I’d be lying if I said the only crime I ever committed was loving Eric Brady too much, but I thought all the good I did in the last couple years outweighed all the horrible things I’d done to people that I can never take back. Silly me, right? Yes, I loved Eric. I loved him so much I worked alongside him when he was a priest for almost a year, never touching him, never even letting my feelings show, just because I knew how important the priesthood was to him. When he was attacked, I was the one who chased down the people who did it and tried to get the evidence that would clear his name. Yes, I screwed up after that, but seriously, if that’s all you remember, you are putting Salem to shame with your narrow-minded attitudes. This isn’t one of those stupid reality shows where everyone bands together to decide who to kick out of town, and the last one to survive the gossip circle wins. That’s not the Salem I’ve known for the last 20 years. Salem used to be a place of second chances and now everyone races to be the first in line with the juiciest gossip and if you hurt someone you don’t like in the process, more power to you.

“For those of you who decided that a couple of pieces of shredded paper were worth throwing away the most loyal friend you’ll ever have, keep telling yourselves you’re glad I’m leaving town. None of you are the saints you think you are, but keep lying to yourselves about me and about you and about how you won’t miss me. I used to think you were so special, but it turns out you care more about what other people think than what you know in your heart to be true, and I’m done begging you for forgiveness when you’re the ones who should be asking for it from me.

“There are a couple of people left in this town who are still decent people, and the sad thing is that most of them don’t realize how amazing they are. This town tears people down. It almost destroyed me, but it doesn’t have to destroy you.

“Everyone tune in tomorrow, or don’t, for Sally Charles’ broadcast. I don’t care; I’ll be coming to you live from Pigeon Falls. Until then, remember that there’s a world of truth out there that we let into your living room.”

Nicole smiled a wide, fake smile until the cameras were turned off. Then she got up and walked out of the studio, holding her head up high, past Miles’ closed office door, where she imagined Matt Rosen was quietly having an aneurysm, and to her desk, where she took her purse out of the bottom drawer for the last time.

Sally got up from her seat at the other desk as Nicole came in. “I’m taking over your show?” she asked. “Really? How did you…”

“Least I could do,” Nicole said. “I was tired of both of us getting screwed over.”

Sally suddenly leaned forward and hugged Nicole tight. “Oh my God I’m going to miss you!” she said. “How about we go for one last drink?”

“I never turn down a martini,” Nicole said, “but I’m taking the red-eye and exhausted and jetlagged isn’t really how I want to show up. Tell you what though,” she added as Sally’s face crumpled. “How about you take me to the airport and we have coffee in one of those overpriced stands before I take off?”

(continued in next reply)

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

A few hours later, Nicole was packing up her hotel room. There wasn’t a lot of stuff--between having to run away from abusive relationships and just not wanting to be anywhere for too long, she hadn’t kept a lot of the things she’d loved. She packed her clothes easily, folding them perfectly to get them to all fit into her small suitcase.

Everything else was harder.

She planned to throw all her pictures into a folder and get them into the suitcase quickly, but as she opened a drawer, she found a photo of her and Eric that in one of her saner moments, she’d hidden away. Their eyes sparkled with happiness as they looked into the camera and their smiles took up the whole photo. She tried to look away, but the memories came rushing back before she could… the night Eric and Daniel rescued her and Jen on Smith Island, Eric said he realized he didn’t want to live without her… a few days later he proposed to her in the park… and then… and then… all the times he glared at her, all the times he told her he hated her, every time he told her to leave and not come back…

Nicole blinked hard as she put the photo facedown into the drawer. Let the next person who stays in this room enjoy it, she thought.

Buried under the photo was the engagement ring Eric had once given her. She hadn’t worn it in a long time, but she hadn’t wanted to give him the satisfaction of getting it back, because until now, she hadn’t wanted to give up. She picked it up and played with it. It sparkled in the light coming from her lamp; she’d sat on the bed admiring it on her finger so many times. She slipped it into her purse. Maybe she’d mail it back to Eric from Pigeon Falls. Or not. She’d see.

There was a knock on the door. “Hold on, I’m just packing a few last things,” Nicole called. She zipped up her purse before opening the door.

It was not Sally. It was Eric.

“What are you doing here?” Nicole asked when she found her voice.

“So it’s true,” Eric said. “You are leaving.”

“Yeah, but don’t start celebrating yet. I’ll be back soon enough.”

“I know you said that, but we both know how much your word is worth.”
Nicole’s throat tightened. “I don’t have time for this. I have a plane to catch.”

“I didn’t come here to argue with you,” Eric said. “Despite everything, I have been praying for your happiness as well as my own.”

“Am I supposed to be grateful? You give me dirty looks, you tell me every chance you get how you can’t stand to be around me, you shut me out...but you’re praying for me? What good are your prayers if I don’t have you?”

“Nicole, please, I don’t want things to end this way.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should have thought about that before you took all your anger out on me.” Nicole fished through her purse for the ring. “You know, all these months, I kept hoping that somehow we’d talk it out and you’d see I wasn’t the one you were angry at. But it took me leaving town for you to even consider me important enough to come find, and then it was just to gloat about how you’re so pious that you pray for me even though you hate me.” She pulled the ring out of her purse and played with it, pushing it into the palm of her hand. “I would have given anything for you to put this ring back on my finger. But now…” she blinked back tears as she handed it to him.

“Nicole, you don’t have to - “

“Yes, I do. Tomorrow this room will be empty and I’ll be 300 miles away but taking that ring would be like taking you and your hatred with me. Take it, Eric. You can be the one to stare at it every night and realize what you’ve lost.”

Nicole’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it. “My ride’s here,” she said softly. She picked up her suitcase and pushed past Eric.

“Nicole,” Eric called as she closed the door. She turned back towards him.

“May God grant you safe travels,” he said.

“Right.” Nicole squeezed the suitcase handle. “You should have stayed a priest. It’s too bad you couldn’t decide between the priesthood and me, because now you’ve lost us both.” She hurried down the hall to the elevator before Eric could say another word.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Sally said while they were at the tiny coffee shop next to the security gate at the airport. Nicole shrugged and Sally said, “Does it have to do with your ex-fiancee? I saw him coming out of your hotel as we were pulling away.”

“Who? Father Indecisive? Or is it just plain Eric today? I can never tell. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about him.”

“Me either. I can’t believe you got Miles to give me your old job. How’d you do it?”

“I can promise you, it’s not the way you think. Ugh, if there’s one person that could make me lose interest, it’s him.”

“I know that’s right. If I hadn’t realized a long time ago that men don’t do a thing for me, that Miles would have opened up my eyes.”

Nicole’s eyes widened. “You’re not into men?”

“Nope. Never have been, never will be.”

“So all that talk a couple weeks ago about what a hunk Daniel Jonas is…”

“I can appreciate beauty when I see it. I just can’t feel it for a man.” Sally’s eyes sparkled and she leaned forward. “Now the right woman, on the other hand…” She reached for her coffee cup, brushing her fingers against Nicole’s in the process.

“Yeah, this is getting awkward.” Nicole picked up her iced coffee and sucked it through the straw, mainly to give herself time to think.

“Sorry.” Sally looked down at the table. “I didn’t, you know, just mess anything up, did I?”

“Funny, I’m usually the one asking that and the answer’s usually yes. But come on, Sally--well, don’t, not to me.” Sally didn’t smile and Nicole said, “Okay, that wasn’t funny. But you know me, I don’t care who you’re attracted to. I just know what it’s like to love somebody who’s never going to love you back the way you want, and if I gave you false hope I’d hate myself even more than I already do.”

“You didn’t. I was just joking around.” There was a muffled announcement and Sally said, “I guess you’re gonna have to get ready to board your plane now, huh?”

“I guess so.” Nicole got up slowly.

“Hey, well, if you can get our station way out in the boonies, tune in sometimes so you can see how I’m doing.”

“I will.” Nicole stood awkwardly, not knowing whether to hug Sally or shake hands with her. There was another announcement and Sally said, “Go. I don’t want you to miss your flight on account of me.”

Nicole left, but she could feel Sally staring at her back. Could this get any weirder? she thought.

(continued in next reply)

Heroic Muse · Oct 5, 2014

After she’d gone through security and gone to the bathroom to redo her makeup and put all her jewelry back on, Nicole had some time to kill, so she spent some time looking at Pigeon Falls news to see what was going on. As she expected, there was nothing important. Kids’ soccer games, some stupid controversy over starting a hot lunch program at the elementary school… she yawned and decided to check her email before taking a nap.
She had a new email titled “Introducing myself--welcome to Pigeon Falls” from a woman named Marina, who was her new boss. Nicole scanned it quickly, then almost dropped her phone. She glanced up at the ceiling. “Even You can’t possibly be that cruel,” she said aloud before realizing other people in the waiting area were staring at her. She snapped the phone shut and shoved it back into her purse, trying to think about how she was going to approach things with this Marina person.

TO BE CONTINUED....

***Coming Up In The Next Chapter**

Nicole’s new assignment brings her face to face with a painful chapter in her past.
Nicole settles into Pigeon Falls and meets a bunch of new people--will they give her more of a chance than Salemites have?

Second Chances - A Nicole Walker Adventure

Heroic Muse

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Heroic Muse

Well-Known Member

Heroic Muse

Well-Known Member

Heroic Muse

Well-Known Member

Heroic Muse

Well-Known Member

Heroic Muse

Well-Known Member

Heroic Muse

Well-Known Member