Nikki was walking slowly down the street, which was supposed to bring her to Brian's Beach Shop. The woman was looking forward to meeting new people. The sun had already begun to set. But, no matter what, it was still to warm for Nikki's metabolism, adjusted to the coldness of the north. As she approached her destination, Nikki thought about the past two days in Florida. She felt much happier. The negative environment from Seattle was nowhere to be seen.

She could already see Brian's shop from the distance.

The door was closed but she could hear voices from the inside. Nikki opened the door and walked in. She immediately looked around, trying to find Brian, but instead, there was a dark-skinned man at the counter.

„I'm sorry, but we're closed," he said monotonously, not looking up from the papers.

She squirmed nervously.

„Umm...I'm looking for Brian. He asked me to come."

That seemed to capture the man's attention. He got up, walked around the counter and stood in front of her.

„You're the girl he helped yesterday, didn't you?" he asked, stretching out his hand. „Nice to meet you. I'm Diego."

Nikki nodded, shaking his hand in greeting.

„Nikki!"

Diego turned around and started shouting.

„Hey, Brian, your girl is here!"

Nikki rose both eyebrows in question as Diego smiled innocently.

Several people came out of the stockroom, stood in front of the counter and kept their eyes on Nikki. Brian was trying to push himself through the group.

„I'm glad you came," he said in greeting, smiling softly. „By the way, I'm sorry for Diego. His jokes are always tasteless."

Nikki smiled back, then well-studied the other people in the room. One of the girls was very familiar, but she couldn't put her anywhere until she didn't remember the hotel.

„I know you," she said, pointing at the girl. „You're a receptionist at my hotel."

Aline took a few seconds to remember, but then her facial expression changed in surprise.

„Yeah, I'm Aline," she replied. „Yesterday, when you came back to the hotel with Brian, my shift was already over. It's a really small world."

Nikki had to agree with Aline. The brown-haired girl has been nice to her from the very beginning. She didn't know they would meet again, and certainly not under these circumstances.

„Brian, how come you didn't brag about going at lunch with The Silhouette's author?" Aline asked her friend, who was nervously scratching the back of his head.

„You know who I am?" Nikki asked, surprised.

Aline merely nodded.

„Our boss let us know that you're coming. Well...he also gave us a certain...let's say codes of conduct that must be followed while you're near."

Nikki's eyes were wide open. She had no idea about all this.

„I didn't give any instructions or requests to anyone."

Aline just laughed.

„Relax," she replied. „It's the policy of the hotel."

Brian cleared his throat. He had enough of chatting.

„Nikki, let me introduce you to others," he said, facing his friends. „Guys, meet Nikki Hamilton, very cool person. Nikki, they're my gang...sort of. You already met Diego and Aline, so there're only David and Marina left."

David grinned, pulling her into a firm hug. Nikki gasped in surprise while the others laughed.

„Okay, Dave, don't scare her off," Diego said.

David released her from his embrace and Marina stood in front of her. Nikki immediately linked the girl with Brian's story. This was his former girlfriend. But she couldn't remember Brian mentioning that they're still hanging out.

„Hey, I'm Marina," she said briefly.

Nikki could swear the woman was uncomfortable. Her face reminded her of someone.

„Has anyone ever tell you to looked like Nina Dobrev?" she asked her, while Marina just nodded.

„You have no idea how often I hear that."

Brian clapped his hands, interrupting their conversation.

„Let's go!" he said.

The rest of them walked out of the store in hurry. Nikki was standing next to Brian, as he locked the door.

„Where exactly are we going?!"

„To the beach. It's very nice in the evening when the tourists return to their hotels. No offense."

Nikki laughed loudly.

„You don't like tourists, right?"

„Just the opposite, Nikki Hamilton," a blond man replied playfully. „Tourists bring money. On the other hand, they flood the city every damn summer. It's so crowded and I don't like big crowds or a disturbance."

She raised her eyebrow.

Suddenly, they heard calls from the rest of the group, so they joined them. Nikki noticed Marina quickly sticking to Brian's left side. The brunette was nice to her so far and Nikki didn't want to leave a wrong impression. She had absolutely no intention other than friendship with Brian.

They were slowly walking, absorbed in various discussions until they reached the start of the Lowdermilk Park. Nikki was looking forward to seeing something new, but Brian quickly pulled her away.

„They're just about to close the park," he explained. „Entry after working hours is not allowed."

Nikki frowned but nevertheless accepted the explanation. However, she had forgotten about it as soon as she saw a newly opened sight in front of her. White sand and an endless plain of light waves, changing colors under the sunset. Nikki's words stuck in her throat.

„Welcome to Naples, Nikki Hamilton!" Brian said quietly. „Now I can officially welcome you."

In that precise moment, Nikki knew it was worth every penny to come here. She faced Brian and smiled broadly. He grabbed her hand, pulling her gently toward the beach and the rest of the guys, who had already settled in a circle and continued whatever conversation they had previously led.

Nikki's hands went through fine, white sand as she absorbed a little more joy that Naples was offering.

„You're finally here. I'm waiting for you all night!" said a very annoyed voice behind her.

She whirled around and instantly forgot about the rest of the world.

There was a tall man with dark sandy hair, standing in front of her. His facial expression was firm, the gestures showing irritation that could've been heard in his voice before. The man rolled his eyes. Nikki also noticed that he was wearing surfing trousers and a light white t-shirt. The guitar was placed in his hands, in a firm grip. One look at him and she felt the air leave her lungs. She couldn't breathe. Nikki could swear she had never seen eyes that were so blue, ever in her life.

Brian stood up, snapping her out of her thoughts.

„Nikki," he addressed her. „Meet Daniel."

He pointed to the slightly annoyed man, calling her to approach them. As soon as she got up, Daniel looked at her from head to toe, causing a sense of discomfort. Her tongue remained bound and she simply couldn't speak.

„I suggest you never provoke Daniel because, as you can see, he can be pretty tedious and annoying. Dan, meet Nikki Hamilton."

Once again, Daniel looked at the woman as if trying to assess a new situation, then he slowly faced Brian again.

„So you have a new girlfriend?" he asked coldly.

Brian's eyes widened as he raised his hands in defense while Nikki choked on thin air.

„What's the matter with all of you?!" he asked, raising both of this arms in the air. He felt uncomfortable. „I've just met her. Nikki came here for a vacation, not hunting men. Can you guys at least for once refrain from making unpleasant situations?!"

„Oh!" Daniel said as if he just woke up from sleep. „In that case, welcome!"

The man was very short with his words. Nikki was slightly surprised by his indifference to everything surrounding him. Daniel seemed to be in his own world. He joined the circle his friends formed, while his fingers gently ran across the guitar's strings. Nikki was really hoping he would play something. Brian punched her shoulder gently to gain her attention.

„Sorry about him. He's a bit...weird. They're all a little weird."

Nikki gave him a genuine smile.

„That's what you promised me when you asked me to join you guys, remember?"

They were busy talking about anything and everything. Time was flying by. Nikki didn't even realize that half of the people were no longer around her. Aline, David, and Diego had run toward the sea, chasing each other in the shallows. Daniel had moved away from the group and got lost in his music. Nikki could hear slight sounds, produced by his guitar. Daniel wasn't looking at his hands, softly running across the strings. Instead, his eyes were locked far at the creek.

Soon, Diego returned to the broken circle and pulled Brian, who grunted but still joined them in the shallows, while Marina stayed with Nikki on the beach.

„So," the brunette started. „You like Brian?"

Nikki turned her head towards the woman.

„No," she instantly replied. „I...I didn't come to Naples for that. I just want to find an inspiration to continue with my book. Brian is...he's a very nice person. He invited me to join you guys, regardless of the fact that he's just meet me. I really appreciate all this."

Marina's facial expression relaxed.

„Yeah...he really is...you know," she muttered.

Nikki smiled, gently nudging her shoulder against hers.

„I know. He told me," she replied. „I don't want to cross the line, considering we'd just met, but I'm really sorry about your break-up."

Marina looked at the ground.

„Yeah..." she said briefly.

Nikki realized that Marina was feeling uncomfortable talking about her private life, so she stopped. She shifted her thick, dark curls over her left shoulder, returning her gaze back at Daniel. He had her hypnotized. Nikki was not aware of how long she has been staring at him.

„What's with him?" she asked, pointing at the tall man sitting on the sand. Marina followed her gaze toward Daniel.

„Dan is...well, I don't have the correct words to describe him."

Nikki seemed to be even more interested.

„Why?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent. But, just by the tone of her voice, she could say she didn't succeed.

„It's hard."

Again, the woman returned her gaze toward Daniel, who hadn't even moved from his seat. He continued to play an unknown melody.

„It looks like he's completely in his own world."

Marina also stared at her friend.

„Yeah, Dan is the typical man you can find in Naples. He was born here, he speaks Spanish and knows every corner of this place. If you get lost in Florida, Dan is a person you need to call. He knows everybody and, if I remember correctly, he'd worked all kinds of jobs. He'd even taught surfing and guitar playing. Two things he loves immensely. He's somewhat connected to the sea." Marina explained, not looking away from Daniel.

Nikki just smiled gently.

„It doesn't sound like you have a lack of words to describe him. You speak really nicely about your friend."

Once again, Marina looked at the stranger sitting beside her. She felt like she could talk with Nikki. The Latina just hoped her judgment was good.

Soon, the others returned to the girls by the sea. Nikki noticed Brian looking at Daniel's direction several times, but she decided not to ask him about it.

„Hey, we could go to the bar down the beach. Drink something, instead of just sitting here." Diego suggested.

The guys quickly started to argue. Brian just got up and walked toward Daniel. Nikki didn't take her eyes from her blond acquaintance as he leaned toward Daniel.

Daniel seemed to be awakened from a trance and looked back at Brian. Their lips were moving for a few seconds in, for Nikki, a silent conversation, and then Daniel shook his head, looking back at the sea.

Brian returned to the circle again and sat down.

„As for me, we can go. Dan said he wants to stay here," he shrugged.

Aline, David, and Diego stood up, pulling Nikki with them.

„C'mon. That place is great. You'll love it," Aline exclaimed excitedly.

Nikki was unable to cope, as she was already hurriedly walking down the beach, toward, she assumed, a mentioned bar. She tried to stare back, wanting to catch the sight of Brian or Marina. The time she saw them, they were discussing something lively.

„They're not coming?" she asked Diego.

The man shrugged.

„Brian and Marina are drama magnets. It's very unlikely that they'll appear, especially if Daniel is involved," he explained casually. „Don't worry, I'll take you to the hotel after. You won't have to go back alone."

Nikki had looked behind several times, but there was no sign of Brian and Marina. Eventually, she gave up.

Soon, the four of them came in front of a typical tropical land's cafe. Nikki wasn't surprised by the sight of a wooden structure and palm branches as a roof. Still, the modern neon lights, coming from the inside, gave her a completely different impression.

Together, they entered the room full of people. David and Diego started to break through the crowd to get to the bar, while the girls were following them.

Diego just waved his hand and one of the bartenders approached immediately. The guys talked briefly. Nikki assumed they knew each other. They didn't have to wait long before their drink came. The trio immediately started drinking, while Nikki was fidgeting, not sure of her desire to drink alcohol tonight.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, turning it on, after being off for almost all day. As soon as the screen lit up, notifications began to line up one after another. Nikki had a huge amount of unanswered calls from her mom, Addison, and Darnell. However, 27 missed calls from her now ex-fiancé had exceeded expectations. He seemed determined to fix things with Nikki. But she couldn't forgive him nor forget what he had done to her. Just by seeing his name on the phone screen, Nikki forced herself to accept the drink.

She turned around and noticed that Aline and Diego weren't here anymore. It was only David left. He drank some beer that Nikki didn't recognize, looking at her strangely.

„So, what brings you to Naples?"

She smiled.

„I live in Seattle. That should be enough for you."

David shook his head, taking another sip of his beer from the bottle.

„You know, almost every one of us asked you the same question and you always answered differently. Why?"

Nikki was looking around again, trying to find the missing duo. She saw them on the dance floor, dancing at some latin music.

„I suppose the correct answer is a little bit of everything," she finally replied to David, who was still looking at her curiously. „I was really sick of all the rain. And I needed the inspiration for the new sequel of The Silhouettes so I guess, I just needed a change."

David nodded and ordered another beer.

„You southerners are really interesting," Nikki said playfully. „Even though you know that you're doing a full shift in the morning, you still can drink all night long."

The man just laughed loudly.

„I'm a construction worker. There's not much to do wrong in constructing. My only job is to put wooden beams in their places.

Nikki finally knocked the drink back and then felt the familiar vibration inside of her pocket. She pulled the phone out. The screen lit up, showing Darnell's name.

„Not again!" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Nikki barely managed to break through the crowd, trying to walk out of the cafe, where it wasn't so loud.

Nikki: „What do you want?!"

Darnell: „Is this the way to talk to your fiancé?"

Nikki: „You stopped being my fiancé the moment you first slept with another woman."

Darnell: „You and I both know that's not true."

Nikki was visibly upset.

Nikki: „What the fuck do you want, Darnell?!"

Darnell: „Tell me where you are? I want to work things out and prove to you that we can still pick up where we left off."

Nikki: „Forget it! I don't know about you, but I'm no longer in this relationship. Goodbye, Darnell!"

Nikki didn't give him the chance to speak, as she just interrupted the call, turning the small device off. She placed it inside the pocket again and then returned to the club.

David was still standing in the same place, drinking beer. She noticed two empty bottles in front of him, which meant he was already on the third beer.

„You're gonna get wasted," she said, laughing.

He faced her, raising his bottle in a toast.

„Yes, I definitely will."

Suddenly, David looked over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Nikki was following his gaze, but, apart from the crowd, she didn't see anything compromising.

„What is it?" she asked.

David wasn't looking away.

„The two biggest jerks in Naples have just entered the bar. Shit!" he replied.

Nikki turned back toward the entrance and then noticed two brown-haired men in branded clothes approaching them. The duo stopped at the bar, right next to them.

„Dave." one of them said seriously.

„Ronnie," David replied in the same tone.

Nikki's eyes darted between her acquaintance and two unknown men. Aline and Diego were instantly running back toward them.

The young man, whom David called Ronnie faced his friend and laughed.

„Look at this, Luis," he commented, pointing to them. „Almost the whole setup is here."

Ronnie slowly approached David.

„What? Where's the rest of the gang?!"

Nikki saw flames coming from David's nostrils. Aline quickly put her palm on her friend's chest as if she knew David would explode at any moment.

„Brian and Marina are babysitting Danny again?"

Diego pushed Ronnie away harshly.

„Why do you always butt in other people's business?" he asked angrily. „They aren't your concern."

Ronnie and Luis just laughed loudly and then the tall man noticed Nikki. He immediately became serious.

„Hey, I'm Ronnie!" he said, stretching his hand toward Nikki, who was watching him suspiciously. For a few moments, she was unsure if shaking his hand was a good idea, but her manners prevented her from being rude.

„Nikki," she said briefly, shaking his hand in greeting.

„You know, a beautiful woman like you shouldn't be hanging out with people like them," Ronnie said, gesturing to the group behind him. „Come with me and my friend. I guarantee you're gonna have the best fun with us."

David was already flying forward, but Aline stopped him again.

„It's not worth it!" she said quietly.

Ronnie had a triumphant smile on his face. He knew he had managed to upset David.

„Thank you for the invitation, but I'll stay with them," Nikki replied, pulling David with her.

Ronnie just shrugged.

„Your mistake," he said. „Damn. I'd certainly show you how we party here."

Nikki kept a straight face, as they were slowly approaching the exit of the club.

„Hey, Dave..." Ronnie called him again. „Say hello to Danny. And say I'm waiting for him."

The woman noticed two men joining some girls in the club, who laughed loudly, looking right at them.

„Come on," Diego said. „Don't pay them any more attention."

The four of them came out of the club and returned to the asphalt streets of Naples, away from the beach and sea. Nikki put her hands in her pockets.

„Asshole!" David spoke angrily. „I should have beat the shit out of him. He's always butting in our business."

Aline caught Nikki's arm gently.

„Stay away from Ronnie and Luis. They're trouble."

She nodded in agreement.

Aline and David soon went into one of the streets, slowly disappearing from the sight, while Diego and Nikki stayed alone.

„Come on!" he exclaimed. „I promised I'd take you to the hotel."

Nikki joined him and they both stayed quiet for a few minutes, walking lightly down the dark street.

„Why didn't Brian and Marina appear?"

Diego sighed.

„It's a quite a long story and I'm pretty tired. You can ask them tomorrow. It's for the best," he replied, rubbing his forehead tiredly. „You know, I'm glad Brian called you to join us. It's always nice to meet new people. It brings refreshment."

Nikki just smiled, looking ahead.

„I can say the same. You're a very...interesting group."

Once again, the man rubbed his forehead.

„Yeah," he said.

She switched her black hair over one shoulder. They spent the rest of the walk to the hotel in a pleasant silence.

When they finally came in front of a big building, Nikki gave Diego with a warm hug.

„Take care!" she said briefly.

He smiled, nodding gently.

„See you!"

Nikki watched him disappear behind the hotel. The woman then finally entered the building, quickly heading toward the elevator. She remembered Aline.

After a few minutes, she finally entered her room, closing the door and immediately laying down on the big bed. She closed her eyes, trying to process all the events from today. Nikki met Brian's friends and she liked every one of them. Then, she remembered Daniel. They didn't exchange a word, except for his welcome to Nikki, but the image of him was still very vivid inside her head. He just caught her eye. Something about him was very interesting and attractive. Nikki knew very well that he wasn't aware of her existence. Today, he was so preoccupied with the open sea and his guitar to notice anything around him. Nikki remembered how Daniel had looked up from the open sea only when Brian came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

Completely lost in her thoughts, Nikki was almost robotic as she got ready for bed. It took her a few minutes to finish her evening routine and soon, she found herself beneath the blue sheets of the bed. She sighed, finally letting her body to take so much needed rest. The sleep came slowly to her eyes. The night was passing quietly. The wind wasn't banging on the windows and everything you could hear was a distant sound of waves on the beach near the hotel. The sound was both monotonous and soothing. It was so relaxing that Nikki didn't open her eyes once, until the morning, the sun's rays stubbornly penetrating white lids that hid the intimacy of her room.

Nikki rubbed her eyes, stretching several times. When she finally got used to the light of the day, she absorbed still somewhat unknown surroundings in the room, but then she remembered why she was here.

She got up slowly, wrapping the robe around herself and then grabbing her phone. In order to see all missed calls, Nikki turned the device on. There were a few of them, all from the same people as before. She decided to ignore those coming from Darnell and her mother, finding Addison's number in contacts. Nikki wanted to call her friend. She heard a familiar sound of connecting. Then there was a click on the other side.

Addison: „Finally! I've been trying to reach to you for 24 hours now. What about the promise that you'll always answer me?"

Nikki: „Sorry. It wasn't intentional, I swear. Yesterday, I went out with a couple of acquaintances and got into a fight with Darnell, so I turned off my phone. He annoys me with his constant calling."

Addison: „Don't make excuses. Susan is dying, worrying about you because you don't want to answer her calls. Tell me, what am I supposed to tell your mom. „Oh...she is somewhere in Florida, but she doesn't wanna give me the exact location." This isn't helping, Nikki."

Nikki was rubbing her forehead. It was too early for this conversation. The dark-skinned woman felt like she was at school, talking with the principal.

Nikki: „It helps me. Addy, you have to understand, please. I need this. I really do. I need to get rid of every bad feeling I have and start something new. Tell my mom that I love her and I'll call her when I'll be ready."

She could hear a deep sigh from the other side of the line.

Addison: „I just hope you understand that this isn't an ultimate solution. You're not solving the problem, you're running from it and trying to bury it in your mind. Nikki...I really hope that, when the truth hits you, you'll have someone beside you to support you."

Nikki: „Don't worry, I'll be fine. Bye, Addy!"

Addison said her goodbye to Nikki and then ended the call. For a moment, she was watching now dark screen of the phone. As much as she wanted to hear the calming sound of her mother's voice, Nikki didn't have the guts to call Susan. She didn't want to explain herself again. Her decisions were just hers and she had to keep up with this motto. Her stomach was suddenly loudly protesting, so she decided to go down for the breakfast. She went to take a quick shower, then headed to the dining hall.

As soon as she entered the large room, Nikki noticed a table full of different types of food, standing from her right side. She smiled to herself, immediately rushing toward it. This vacation was promising. Nikki was hoping for an improvement in her life. But she couldn't know what turbulence will her stay in Naples really bring.    

-

Author's note:

So, I've decided to take my friend's advice and update more than once a week. At least for now, when I'm starting with this. Luckily, the story is already finished.

Here's the chapter 3. A little more information for you guys. The story is starting to head in the right way. If there's anyone who likes it so far, please vote or comment. I'd be happy to hear from you.

Enjoy your evening, stay true to yourself and see ya in a few days.