“Natalie, I just wanted to call and see how things were going. I miss you. I don’t like it when we don’t talk. I never meant to hurt you guys, I really didn’t. Sometimes I get something in my head and…”
“Jenna, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Can we just say bygones? I have had a horrible past couple of weeks and it would really make my night if one thing could go right.”
“I am so happy to hear you say that. Now I just have to see what Mya has to say. I tried to call her but Kyle said that she was doing some clinical or something. That must be why she didn’t answer her cell.”
“What? No she doesn’t. Her nights on the floor for practicum are Tuesday and Thursdays. I know this because she always complains that Kyle doesn’t record any of her Thursday night shows and it pisses her off.”
“Well, maybe she’s in a study group or something. Anyway, why has your week been so bad?” Jenna asks, changing the subject back to me.
“Oh it’s my mother. She told Jan Wellington that I had a fabulous boyfriend and would bring him to Mallory’s stupid engagement party on Saturday.”
“Wow, I was out of it for a while. Well, dahling, who is the lucky man?”
“Oh you know very well that he is a figment of my mother’s wild imagination. Since my only possible prospect cancelled his date with me today, I have nobody. There is not a single man that I could find in the next two days to go with me to this miserable event. But I’m fine. I am just fine.” I say with bitterness and discord.
“Yes, you sound fine. Well, listen, I may have someone that could go with you. He is really nice and I have been running with him for a couple of months now. His name is Ian and you know Nat, I really think he’s your type- brown hair, great smile and gorgeous eyes. He is well educated and could quite possibly be a Democrat. He isn’t from around here. I think he’s from somewhere back East.” Oh good lord, please let it be some cosmic coincidence. My heart starts to beat faster and my face begins to feel warm and flushed.
“Back East huh? Could it be, Washington D.C.?” Please say no. Please say no. Don’t let my only chance at dignity be that arrogant video store guy because that would be an oxymoron. Dignity and that man do not go hand in hand.
“Yes! You’re right, it is D.C.! Weird, so what do you think? It’s either that or let your mother come up with some outlandish story for why your love is not present. Really, Natalie, do you want your mother to have that much control in your fake life?” Jenna had a point there. I left all of the specifics to her regarding why my fiancé would not be at the party, which in all honesty, was quite brave. Who knows what my mother would tell everyone. I cannot believe this is happening to me! I cannot possibly face him after everything that has happened, especially after my little episode at Mama’s. This is punishment for cheating on my tenth grade boyfriend during my summer in England. I always knew it would come around. Let’s face it, since my relationship with Josh, the love life has been hurting and now this. Oh this is low, even for karma.
“Jenna, I can’t. I can’t go with him.” I reply.
“What do you mean? Why Natalie? You don’t even know him. Don’t you trust my judgment? I wouldn’t fix you up with just anyone, you know. He is good for you!”
“Okay, Jenna, I wasn’t going to tell you this but, I have met Ian. I was introduced to him tonight when I was getting pizza at Mama’s.” I say with a deep breath.
“Well, that’s perfect so you guys already kind of know each other!” She responds excitedly.
“No, Jen there’s more. I actually met Ian before that.”
“What do you mean?” Jenna asks, confused.
“Jenna, Ian is that jerk at the video store! You remember, the one who took my movie and stepped on me and was all ‘I can’t make you feel bad you just let yourself feel that way’ or something like that. What an ass! That is why there is no way in Hades that I will ever go out on date with him. That is my final answer.” I have made my decision and although I thought about asking the audience, I feel it was a good choice.
“Well, that seals the deal. You are going with him to this party Natalie Everett. It has already been decided in the stars, as Mya would say. If you have seen this guy that many times just by chance, it’s meant to be. Plus, you guys have sexual tension. Look how excited you just got talking about how much you dislike him. It’s just like a movie! Oh this is fabulous! I am running with Ian tomorrow morning so I will discuss everything with him and let you know later. Yay this is so fun!” I’m glad someone is enjoying it because I feel like running away to join the circus now. Knife throwing is looking really good right at this moment.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Although Ian tried to use all of the manly testosterone things to get his mind off of Natalie, it didn’t work. He woke up with her dark eyes and spit fire dialogue engraved in his mind, much to his chagrin. Unfortunately, Ian knew it was something that he would just need to get over. There was no way he would be able to call her, given the circumstances for how he had Natalie’s number in the first place. It would be a poor and calculating move on his part anyway, given that Jake still seemed interested in her. No, the Natalie girl would simply have to be put aside for now, Ian decided as he stretched out and waited for Jenna in the park. Running with the friend of the girl he was trying to get his mind off of perhaps was not the best strategy but at least it helped release some anxiety and burn off the pizza and beer from last night.
“Hi Ian, sorry I’m late. I was up late talking to my friend Nat. You know the one that I had the fight with?” Ian knew exactly which friend she was talking about. God, if she only knew how much.
“Oh? So, you guys made up? That’s nice.” He responded, calmly.
“Yes and since we’re talking about her, what are you doing Saturday night?” She asked with a grin and Ian was somewhat suspicious as to where the conversation was going.
“Well, I told Maggie I would help her with her art project. She broke her arm and so she needs help and well, I don’t know. I’m busy.”
“Can’t you do it during the day? Oh I know! I can come over and help. It will be fun! We can get takeout and watch chick flicks. Now, you have no excuse. Maggie can hang out with me and you can go out with Natalie. I have to let you know though it’s kind of an affair. You will be taking her to some party of a family friend. I think it’s an engagement party or something. But that’s perfect. You guys can mingle while getting to know each other. Oh this will be fabulous!” Jenna squealed excitedly.
“Jenna, you haven’t even met Maggie before. Don’t you think it would be a bit weird for her to have some random woman coming over to baby-sit?”
“Hello! That’s why it wouldn’t be babysitting. It would be female bonding, which I’m sure Maggie is in dire need of given that she has to live with you on a daily basis. No offense, but you’re a man. Men know absolutely nothing about the important things like makeup, proper skin care and E! News. I think it would be nice for Maggie to have me around!”
Ian had to admit that Jenna made a good point. Since they had moved to Portland, Maggie didn’t have any female influences that she could discuss “girl” things with. Mrs. Johnson was the only mother figure that Maggie saw and she did not seem to be the type of mother to sit around and have girl talk during her daughter’s sleepovers. To his defense, Ian really tried to have open communication with his young sister but obviously there were certain topics that Ian would simply never understand. Quite frankly, he was content in that revelation.
“Look Ian, I know that you two got off to a rocky start. She told me about the video store confrontations. But just think how many times you have seen Natalie on totally random occasions. Not to mention the connection between the three of us. Don’t you feel that maybe someone is trying to tell you something? Personally, I think it’s fate and that is something you don’t want to mess with my friend.” Jenna says with a raised eyebrow and such conviction that Ian was almost persuaded.
“
Does your boyfriend mind you taking such interest in another man’s life?” Ian asked, almost forgetting the dreadful secret he carried on his shoulders.
“Please, Rob barely knows I’m alive right now. He meets me at my house for a quick dinner that he barely eats and a booty call and then he’s off to meet clients. I seriously don’t know anyone who works as much as my boyfriend.” Listening to Jenna talk about her depressing relationship was almost more than Ian could handle. He felt a twinge of disloyalty knowing the affair he and Natalie would be attending was exactly that- an affair that could completely destroy Jenna.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I couldn’t believe that I was actually going through with all of this. Not only was I attending an engagement party for my best friend’s boyfriend, (minus my best friend) I was going with a man that has created more angst in my life than George W. Bush. Okay, maybe not that much but you can see where I’m going with this. When Jenna called to inform me that Ian agreed to escort me I practically dropped the phone. Did he feel sorry for me after seeing my emotional display the other night? Oh that would be splendid, a pity date. The worst part was that Jenna conveniently forgot to explain to him that everyone would be under the impression that we were, well, seriously involved. Aren’t first dates difficult enough than to add the pressure of assuming you like one another? I mean granted, he was very nice looking and every time I saw him he always smelled nice but he was the arrogant video store guy that made my temperature rise and my nostrils flare. He was not my knight in shining armor. He was the consolation prize to replace Jake, who apparently didn’t find me as interesting as I hoped.
I was affected by Jake more than I expected to be. Maybe it was because he took me by surprise. Was it possible Jake did have to go out of town? That shouldn’t matter. There are cell phone towers in Austin and he could have called, especially since he had his friend do the cancellations. That was so low and I could tell his friend was just as embarrassed as I was. What am I thinking? This was a blow off fair and square. It’s time to get on with things and just accept it.
Accepting denial is quite difficult when a monkey wrench gets thrown into the equation. The monkey wrench you may ask? That would be the voicemail I received at 6:27, which would be 8:27 Austin, Texas time, if you are curious. It went a little like this:
“Hi Natalie, this is Jake. I am calling to see how your week has been. I am flying back home in the morning and thought maybe we could get dinner tomorrow night. I’m really sorry that I had to cancel. So, uh, give me a call. It’s about 8:30 here and I’ll be up late finishing up some work. So, um yeah, I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
Shit! This isn’t supposed to happen! My life isn’t complicated because I leave that to cable television. Usually, I live vicariously through everyone else but lately I am beginning to feel that it’s the other way around. I don’t know how to handle such complex matters and I really wish my friends would answer their cell phones. I need to talk to Mya and recently it seems she has joined the witness relocation program.
“Kyle, hey is Mya around?” I ask in desperation.
“I just got in but she’s not home. I thought she was meeting you for dinner after work?” He asks confused. “Is everything okay?” Now he asks concerned. What was she telling him? This was the second time in one week that Mya had been caught lying to her boyfriend, whom she lives with might I add. Granted, it was me who caught her but that doesn’t matter. Something strange is going on and I would very much like to know what it is.
“Oh, you know, we are but I got caught up late at work and so I had to push back the time and well, you don’t want to hear about it. I’m sure she will be here any minute so no worries! Talk to you later!” I try to say in my most chipper and non suspicious tone.
“Jenna, have you talked to Mya at all today?” Finally, one of my friends answers the phone.
“No, in fact I have yet to talk to her at all. Is she still mad at me Natalie? I have called and left two voicemails for her and she hasn’t called me back. I know she’s busy but some acknowledgement would be nice.”
“Jenna, I haven’t talked to her. I think something is going on because she told Kyle that she and I were getting together tonight, but we aren’t. And then Wednesday she told him that she was doing her practicum but I know that isn’t right.” I say in a panic.
“Hmmm that is kind of weird but we can’t jump to conclusions. You know that Mya can be flighty sometimes, especially now that she is almost done with school. Just wait till you talk to her before you start conjuring up some outlandish plot, Nat.”
“I know but, oh that’s her calling right now. I gotta go, I’ll call you later.”
“Where have you been woman? I am in crisis and you have been nowhere!” I answer the phone in my typical calm and collective nature.
“Slow down, jeez! I’ve been busy. What is going on?” Her tone leads me to believe that Mya is trying to make something less than what it really is but I will humor her for a little while.
“I need to talk over wine. There is just too much to tell you over the phone. Where are you anyway? Are you in a restaurant?” I could hear the clatter of glasses and silverware while people in the background chattered and laughed.
“I’m having happy hour with someone from the hospital. Um, I’m downtown so I could meet you at Stanford’s if you want?” She’s having happy hour with someone, singular and the fact that she failed to tell me who that person was makes me rather suspicious. However, there are bigger issues at hand so right now, it’s going to be about me.
“Okay, I can be there in twenty minutes. Hope you’re thirsty because there is a big bottle of Pinot with my name on it.”
Traffic was surprisingly light on a Friday night and it didn’t take me long to get to the restaurant. I waited impatiently for Mya to arrive and when she got there she had a look of panic on her face. Her trendy black locks were now dyed a deep shade of red and I must say that she looked very cute for simple happy hour with a work friend.
“Good lord Natalie what is going on that you can’t talk to me over the phone about it?”
“Well, I need to start from the beginning. Oh, but first, Jenna has been trying to reach you to apologize and I must say you’re making it really hard for her to do that. So, call her back. But anyway, remember when I went to that brunch with my mother and the Wellington’s?”
“Yeah so?” Obviously, I was going to need to speed up the story because I could tell the patience level was low tonight.
“You are not going to believe it but Mallory Wellington is engaged to Rob!” I exclaim with so much vigor that I almost knocked over my glass of wine.
“Rob?” Mya replies with a blank stare and shaking head until it all starts coming together and she catches on that it isn’t any ordinary Rob like, Rob Lowe or Rob Zombie. “Rob?! Jenna’s Rob? Rob What’s-his-face? Oh my god you have got to be kidding!”
“No, I am not and that isn’t all. Jesus Mya I have so much to catch you up on. Where the hell have you been all week?”
“I have been busy. Some of us aren’t finished with school you know Natalie. Do you have any idea what kind of pressure I’m under, not to mention the fact that my live-in boyfriend is emotionally non-existent! I’m like invisible right now! I don’t want to talk about it. Carry on, will you?” I could tell that something was seriously wrong with Mya. In spite of the constant stress that Mya goes through, she typically lets it roll off her back and never lets it show. It appeared however, that she didn’t want to get into it right now and I was really enjoying the fact that all attention was on me tonight. It isn’t selfish it is simply taking advantage of the opportunity.
“Okay, so my mother told Jan Wellington that I also had a fabulous boyfriend and that I would be bringing him to tomorrow night’s engagement party.”
“Which is not true!” Mya replies while pointing at me as though she had just figured out that it was the butler in the kitchen with the candlestick.
“Exactly.” I reply, confirming her proclamation.
“Now, this is where it’s going to get a bit sticky so keep up with me. More wine?” I ask as I fill up her glass with more Pinot Grigio.
By the time I finished catching Mya up on the tales of my life, she seemed to loosen up a bit and was much easier to be around. Some would contest that the bottle of wine and Cosmopolitan helped but I would like to think it was my storytelling. Either way, I was happy to see my dear carefree friend back to normal, even if it did mean she was er, tipsy.
Disillusion Meets Delight Page 10
