Love, Lust, and Spirit: Who Is Mrs. Perfect?

Niki walked through the doorway into the break room with Alec following close behind her. She walked over to Tre, sat down in his lap and kissed him on the cheek.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat coughed up," Tre said.

"Hey, next time you shave, try standing an inch or two closer to the blade," Alec retorted with a smirk.

Tre sucked air through his teeth. "That smarts." He paused and looked at Niki and puckered his lip. "Baby, tell the big meanie to be nice."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Tre, be nice."

He gaped his mouth and narrowed his eyes. "But-"

"But you started it." She kissed his temple.

Mike sat at the table pretending to read an article in the newspaper averting his eyes from the activity happening on the other side of the little room. He didn't want to have to look at Alec just yet, not after the dream he had. A drop of sweat slowly dripped down the side of his face opposite of the bunch as he heard muffled voices around him, suffocating him. He gripped the paper crinkling it between his fingers. He inhaled deeply, placed the paper on the table, and walked out of the room ignoring everyone around him.

Alec turned toward the group with a puzzled look. "What's his problem? I don't see him for three months and he ignores me completely."

Tre frowned and looked over at the wall away from Niki, then back up at Alec. "He's been acting strange the past few days." He paused and Niki started rubbing the back of his neck. "Billie said something about him being pissy one morning and he wouldn't talk about anything. I don't know the whole story but he's been sour ever since."

Alec narrowed her eyes at the doorway debating with herself on whether or not to follow him. She stared intently at the door and took off running. Mike came into view and she jogged toward him. He began walking faster and faster until he was running. She slowed to a stop in the hall and watched Mike disappear on the other side of a door to outside.

Mike leaned up against the wall outside the door and panted. Billie stood with a shocked face, cigarette in mouth in mid-way of lighting it. "What the hell is wrong with you? You act like there's a wild animal in there."

Mike buried his palm in his forehead and sighed. "I can't do it, Billie, I can't get anywhere near Alec."

"What, why? What's going on?"

He shook his head at the ground and took in a deep breath. He stared his best friend in the eyes. "I love her, Billie. I don't know why or how, but I love her." He slumped to the ground and Billie crouched down next to him.

"When did this happen?"

"I wish I knew." He stared off into the distance trying to gather recollection. "This is awful. What do I do? Every time I get anywhere near her I feel like I'm suffocating. My head becomes clouded and I just feel like I have to get away before I explode. If I think of her my heart tries hammering it's way out of my chest and I can't get her off my mind for the longest time."

"I don't really know what to say that could help."

"I don't either. Ever since she showed up at that party at your house I've had feelings for her but ever since that fucking dream I've been crazy about her for some reason and it's driving me crazy. I want to tell her but I don't want anything to happen to me and Brittney."

Alec stared at the door in disbelief to what she heard leak through to her ears. "Mike...likes me?"

"Tre, I think we should go check on them. I don't hear them talking."

"Aww, this is the first time we've been alone in a while," he replies closing in on her neck and begins slowly planting kisses. She couldn't help but grin. She closed her arms around his neck and pulled him down on the couch beside her. He planted a warm kiss on her lips and held her close.

"I love you so much," Niki whispered after she broke the kiss. "Being married to you is the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?"

"Aww, you mean the sex isn't the best?" She burst out laughing and nearly fell off the couch. Tre pulled her closer and pressed his forehead against hers. "Did I ever tell you how much your laugh turns me on?"

She grinned. "Not that I recall."

He grinned back and kissed her slowly.

Alec walked into the bathroom and sat on the toilet lid with her knees up to her chest. 'How could this happen?' she asked herself. 'I never imagined he would fall for someone like me. Niki, yeah, but not me. Hell, he did like her to begin with. What happened between then and that party? This is devastating...' She buried her face into her knees and sighed. "I like him too..."