Chapter 5
Cat
Irode back home with Chris. I didn’t feel like talking, and Chris thought I was tired and that I had a little too much to drink, so he left me alone.
I think he knows something’s up, but he’s not going to say anything until I say something to him—unlike Jay, who’ll come right to me and say it.
That’s the way it’s always been between us; he waits until I’m ready to come to him and then he gives it to me straight, no matter how hard the truth may be for me to hear.
The clock on my night stand says eleven thirty when I breeze in my room.
After I wash the makeup off my face, I take my shower and dress in comfy sleep shorts and a soft blue tank.
I lie down on my bed, but it’s a little early for me to go to sleep, especially when I’m thinking about Nick.
I’m not as upset with him as I was when we first got to Blue.
How can I be? I’m still a little buzzed from the wine, thinking about his eyes, his smile, and those lips.
I’ve thought about those lips touching mine many times over the years, right here on this bed, not to mention all the other places I would like him to touch.
I waited too long, and I missed my chance.
I can’t really be mad at him. He never promised me anything.
I’ve been gone for four years, and I shouldn’t expect to come back and find him single, waiting to welcome me home with open arms. I should leave that fantasy in the movies and sappy romance novels.
But he could have had the decency to tell me he was seeing my fucking sister.
I deserved at least that. He would have told me about any other woman he was dating.
I wouldn’t expect Kate to tell me, we never had conversations about the guys we were dating.
My cell phone starts jumping up and down on my nightstand. I reach over and pick it up.
“Speak of the devil.”
Nick:Thinking about me? ;-)
Cat:No! :-|
Nick:Liar. :-)
Cat:How did you know I was awake?
Nick:Easy, I know you never go to sleep early, but you like to wake up early. If you sleep later than 8:30 a.m., you feel like half the day has passed you by and it was wasted.
He’s right, damn him.
Cat:For your information, that was the old me. I’ve started going to bed early since I’ve started my exercise regime.
Nick:So what are you doing up now? Let me guess. Thinking about me.
Cat:Conceited MF’er, aren’t you?
Nick:Yes. I notice you’ve added a few new words to your vocabulary.
Cat:Do you have a problem with that too? I’m not exactly the teenager I was when I left. I’ve changed and I’ve grown up some.
Nick:I know you’ve changed and you’re not exactly the same. I was being an ass earlier tonight.
Cat:Yes, you were a total and complete ass!
Nick:Do me a favor, let’s call a truce for tonight. I miss my friend. The one I could call at two in the morning. When I was cramming for an exam back in the day, my stress reliever. You can be mad at me tomorrow.
Cat:Truce. For tonight.
Nick:What if I told you I was outside your window right now watching you?
Cat:I would say you done turned into a stalker. Do I have to call the authorities, Mr. Alexander?
Nick:Oh, you’re a comedian now. You have jokes, Ms. Reed.
Cat:No jokes here, Mr. Alexander, I might have to call the police and tell them I have a stalker on my hands.
Nick:It’s a good thing I have influential friends in high places that can make things happen, the way I want them to. I’m going to call u now, answer your phone.
True to his word, the phone buzzes in my hand. I answer, of course. Because I’m stupid.
“Are you really outside?”
“No, but I can be, all you have to do is say the word and I’ll be there.”
He sounds so sexy over the phone, my own personal phone sex worker. I’m tempted to tell him to come over.
“I think I’ve seen enough of you for one night. Are you sure you’re not in front of my house?”
“I’m absolutely sure. I’m lying down in my bed talking to you. Are you in bed?”
“Yes, and I do remember us doing this when you were in college and you couldn’t focus on whatever exam you were studying for. We would talk about the most random things.”
“Then I would tell you about my day and fill you in on what you had to look forward to in college. I felt better after I talked to you; those conversations helped me to focus and clear my mind again. Talking to you and a strong pot of coffee helped me get through those study sessions.”
“Those were the good old days, when things between us were simpler.”
“Yes, they were. What do you plan to do now that you’ve finished with school and moved home?”
“That’s the thing, I don’t know. You go to college for all these years and you think you’re going to know by the time you’re ready to graduate, and I should, right?”
“Not necessarily. Many people go to college and graduate with a PhD and still don’t know what they want to do with their lives.
You’re intelligent, focused, and you’re a hard worker.
Look at what you’ve accomplished already: you made it through seven years of college with a full course load while working two jobs, one of them as an unpaid intern, and your grades were excellent.
That’s an accomplishment in itself. You’ll figure it out.
Until you do, your family’s there for you, and you have me.
If you need anything, you know all you have to do is ask and it’s yours. ”
“Thanks, but I know I had it easy compared to most people. My dad could afford to pay for my college education. All I had to do was work to pay for my apartment and my living expenses. I was lucky compared to most people my age.”
“That’s what I love about you; most people would have bitched and moaned that they had to work when their daddy had money.”
“My dad didn’t raise me to be a pampered princess. He has a serious work ethic, and it’s his money, not mine. He always told us he would put us through school and when it was over, we had to make our own way. I don’t feel entitled to anything he’s worked for.”
“I’ve never heard you talk like this before. I know you’re a hard worker, but I didn’t realize you had such strong feelings about making your own way.”
“Looks like there’s still more for you to learn about me, isn’t there?”
“Yes, there is. Tell me what you might be interested in doing, and I can set up a few job interviews for you.”
“Just like that? All I have to do is tell you what I want and all of a sudden I have a job interview? What are you, my personal genie in a bottle? Are you going to grant me three wishes too?” Totally against my will, I’m grinning. I can hear the amusement in his voice when he answers.
“No, but I could be. I think it would work the other way better: nod your head, blink three times, and call me master. I know exactly what to do with my three wishes.”
“Oh, do tell.”
His voice changes slightly.
“All three would revolve around the same thing with the same person.”
I’m quiet for a minute. I’m not sure if I want to know what they are. He breaks the silence.
“That’s a conversation for another night. So what are you doing tomorrow?”
“I’m going to start looking for a job, so I can get my own apartment.”
“Why don’t you work for your father?”
“He would love that, but I don’t want to be a part of that dynamic. I want to fly without a net, see where I land.”
“I understand. How long are you planning to stay at home?”
“Hopefully not too long. I’m used to having my own space. It’s a little of an adjustment telling my parents where I’m going and when I’ll be back.”
“You’re busy tomorrow, and what about the rest of the week?”
“I have a lot of things to do; people to see, old friends to catch up with.”
“When will you have time for this friend?”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Don’t avoid me, Cat. If you don’t come to me, you know I’m going to come to you. Go to sleep, it’s late.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
I put the phone on the night stand, roll on to my side, and dream of Nicholas Alexander, full lips and all.