by Mott, Teisha
“I don’t think so,” Nathan said, with a shake of his curly head. “Dr Miller sprung a topic for discussion on me for tomorrow, and I really wanted to hang out with you today.” He looked at her. “I missed you yesterday, Andie.”
“Well, you needed your rest,” Andie said sensibly. “And I needed to do some school work. I’ve been abandoning Accounts over the past few weeks.”
“I know what you mean about abandoning,” Nathan said. “I have been abandoning International Economics, and we have our second in course test next week.”
“Well, you can do the research for Dr Miller’s discussion tonight and study for Econ on the weekend,” Andie suggested.
“Studying and Mobay don’t mix,” Nathan told her. “I know I won’t get a thing done before I come back.”
“The weekend is going to be very long without you, Nathan,” Andie told him.
Nathan smiled and draped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll make it up to you next weekend,” he promised.
They got to the students’ parking lot, where Samantha was sitting on a bench under a tree, waiting for her. Andie was surprised to see Micah waiting with her.
“What’s up with Micah and my sister?” Andie asked. “This is the third or fourth time I’m seeing them waiting here together.”
Nathan shrugged. He, too, was curious as to what Micah was doing with Samantha. He didn’t think Micah would tell Samantha about the bet, but he was nervous nonetheless. Samantha spotted them and waved.
“Hey!” She said. “Nathan, can you take Andie home for me? A bunch of us are having a study session for Probability and Distribution theory midterm tomorrow.”
“Hmm,” Andie said cheekily. “Probability and Distribution Theory study session? Is that what you young people are calling it nowadays?”
“Just shut up, you little egg head!” Samantha said. “Nathan will you take her?”
“Do you even need to ask?” Nathan returned pleasantly. “I’ll take the little egg head home. I’m sure she doesn’t know how to take the bus!”
“I’m sure I could take the bus if I tried!” Andie countered. “I’m not totally daft.”
“Not totally daft is right!” Samantha teased. She gathered her books. “Thanks, Nathan. Later, Andie. Tell Mommy and Daddy I won’t be late.”
Andie watched her sister and Micah leave together. She noticed that Micah was carrying her books as well as his. Nobody could tell her that Samantha was not interested in Micah. She smiled to herself. The image appeared in her mind’s eye of Samantha coming home with her neck covered in hickeys. The shoe would be on the other foot, and then she would have to be more understanding.
“What are you thinking, with that cheeky look on your face?” Nathan asked her.
“Nothin’!” Andie said. “Just that my sister and your friend are looking very chummy these days.”
“Focus on one relationship at a time, Miss Persaud,” Nathan instructed. “And I propose you focus on ours! Do you want to go home straight away, or do you want to hang out on Preston for a bit?”
“Why don’t we hang out at my house?” Andie suggested. “It will be much quieter than Preston, and you can take your Sport’s Government and Society texts.”
“That sounds like an idea!” Nathan said, instantly game. “Can I go through the books in your Dad’s den? I’m sure he must have something on the cultural imperatives of cricket.”
“Of course!” Andie said. “So, to Norbrook, then.”
“No, to Preston!” Nathan pulled her close and kissed the side of her head. “First we have to get the car.”
***
It was half past one when Nathan pulled into the Persauds’ driveway at Norbrook.
“It’s weird coming home so early.” Andie commented. “I mean, all the time I have to drive all around Kingston with Samantha while she runs her million and one errands. It feels so strange to come straight home after school and just relax like I used to in High School.”
“I used to rush home just to baby-sit Joie!” Nathan confided. “Grandpa was afraid I would become some kind of ‘mama’s boy’, according to him, so he insisted I join a club!”
Andie gave out a laugh. “I can’t imagine you babysitting anybody!” She opened the front door and allowed Nathan to go in before her. “You probably let the poor baby fall out of the crib!”
“Believe it or not, I never did!” Nathan said, after thinking for a while. “I was very good at taking care of her, actually. Did you ever drop Christopher when you were taking care of him?”
“Christopher has a nanny,” Andie reminded him. “And I was not allowed within ten feet of him before he could sit up on his own. I have never even changed a diaper in my life!”
Nathan laughed. “Do you mean we will have to get a nurse for our baby?”
Andie looked at him puzzled. Their baby? That was a quantum leap into the future on Nathan’s part. The thought of having Nathan’s baby had never come to her. She was already trying to get used to being his girlfriend. Of course, she had had thoughts of being lost in Nathan’s embrace, and having him make love to her like in the movies. She did not know what to expect, but she had read enough books to be able to actively imagine how awesome it would be. Samantha’s words about not wanting to be an aunt for a while came back to her. She looked away from Nathan, embarrassed.
“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked concerned about her sudden retreat into herself. Her face was very red.
“I wonder where everyone is,” Andie said, ignoring his question. She headed towards the kitchen. “I’m sure we aren’t the only ones here!”
Nathan followed her down the hall and through the swinging doors. Rosilda was in the kitchen washing dishtowels.
“Hi Rosie!” Andie greeted her, and Rosilda grunted in reply. “Where is everybody?”
“Your mother gone to the office and Theresa gone supermarket. Nursey gone for Christopher at school.” She wrung out the dishtowel she was washing and started on another one. “Why you come home so early? I don’t have time to be looking after you, y’know!”
“Rosie, I am not four!” Andie countered. “I don’t need you to ‘look after’ me! You didn’t say hello to Nathan.”
“Hello, Nathan,” Rosie said dutifully, while giving him a dirty look.
Nathan wondered what he had done to make Rosilda dislike him, then remembered that Andie told him that Rosilda disliked everybody. “Hello, Rosilda. How are you today?”
“Busy!” Rosilda snapped. “So you and Andie please don’t harass me today.”
Andie rolled her eyes. “Can we at least have something to eat? We’ll fix it ourselves.” Rosilda did not comment, and Andie moved towards the fridge. “What you want, Nate? Theresa has a tonne of leftovers.”
“Let’s see what’s in here,” Nathan said, joining Andie at the fridge. “What kind of pasta is this?”
“I think that’s a tuna casserole.” Andie said. “It tasted real good, but I don’t want any of that now. Too much cilantro.” She pulled out a bowl. “Here’s some turkey mince…. We could make tacos…I think there is some salsa in here somewhere, but it’s very spicy….”
“Yeah, tacos sound good, and I don’t mind the spice,” Nathan said nodding.
“Do you know how to arrange it?” Andie asked. “I can toast the shells.”
“Yeah, but we need shredded lettuce and cheese and sour cream..."
Andie searched the refrigerator, “Here’s the sour cream… and the cheese…” Andie handed him a pack of grated sharp cheddar. “I don’t see any shredded lettuce. I see a whole lettuce, though. Do you want to shred it?”
“No!” Nathan declared.
“Then how do you expect to get lettuce for the tacos? I can’t shred it!” Andie protested.
Nathan smiled. “What’s wrong with your hands? Are they fins?”
> “Are yours?” Andie returned cheekily.
“You’re the one who can’t eat the tuna casserole because of the cilantro!” Nathan reminded her. “I’m fine with that and a glass of juice, and see… juice, juice, juice in the fridge.”
“I’m sure I can find something else in here…” Andie began to unpack the fridge. “Chicken…jam…here is a fish – this must have been what Theresa said she was saving for me last week.” Andie removed the plate with the fish and opened the foil. “The head is still on it! Yum…”
“Shut the fridge!” Rosilda screamed, causing Andie and Nathan to jump. Andie almost dropped the plate.
“Jesus, Rosie!” She said. “What is wrong with you?”
“How you must have the fridge open so long?” Rosilda quarrelled. “Yuh madda and fadda have shares in JPS? And is why you packing out the things out of the fridge to give me trouble to have to put them back in there? Listen to me, chile…”
“I am not packing out the things, Rosie!” Andie argued. “I am looking for something to eat.”
“Well pick something and come out of the kitchen!” Rosilda demanded.
“Don’t rush me!” Andie back answered. "Frigging fridge Nazi!"
“Andie, let’s have this,” Nathan said removing a foil baking pan with what appeared to be a lasagne, and then closing the fridge.
“But I want to look for something else…” Andie began.
“Don’t bother to look for anything, baby,” Nathan told her, casting a furtive glance at Rosilda. “This lasagne looks great. Do you want it warm?”
“I guess,” Andie said, wrinkling her nose. “What do you want to drink?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Nathan said. “Rosilda, may I have two plates, and something to warm up the lasagne please?”
“Andie knows where we keep the plates,” Rosilda snapped.
“Top left cupboard, Nathan,” Andie said, pulling two cans of sprite from the pantry and a half of a baguette from the bread basket.
They sat at the kitchen table in silence, while they waited on their lunch to get warm. The only sounds were the hum of the microwave and Rosilda’s scrubbing as she worked on the dishtowels. Nathan played footsie under the table with Andie all the time the microwave was going, trying to get her to smile. Andie did not look at him. Rosilda scrubbed away, her face as sour as the pan of dishtowels she was washing.
The microwave went off and Andie served up the two plates. She put a wedge of baguette on each plate, and Nathan removed two glasses from the cupboard.
“Are we allowed to take the plates up to my room?” Andie asked Rosilda. “Since you don’t want us in the kitchen.”
“Just make sure you carry back down the plates when you are finished, and use a tray,” Rosilda said. “And don’t bother crumbs up the place.”
“We won’t,” Andie promised with a sigh, as she removed two wicker trays from the pantry. “Come, Nathan.”
“What’s her problem?” Nathan asked, as soon as he was safely in Andie’s room.
“Rosie is always like that,” Andie told him. “I don’t know what is wrong with her.”
“Maybe she doesn’t like her job,” Nathan suggested.
“I think ‘awful’ is the only language Rosie speaks,” Andie said, taking a bite of her lasagne, and wiped the sauce from her mouth with a napkin. “If she didn’t like working here, she would have gone already. She has been here since I was about five.”
“Well, imagine what she would be like if she didn’t like working here!” Nathan commented.
“No, actually I can’t imagine!” Andie said, shuddering a little. She sat on her trunk, and Nathan sat next to her. Try not to let any food drop anywhere, or I’ll never hear the end of it!”
***
“Everything Theresa cooks tastes so good!” Nathan declared as he cleaned his plate ten minutes later. You should be taking cooking lessons, Andie! Do you know that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”
“That’s crap!” Andie said, looking pointedly at him. “My mother cannot cook for anything, and she has a great man. Besides, I thought you said I was perfect just the way I am!”
“You are,” Nathan leaned over and kissed the top corner of her lip, where a blob of tomato sauce had settled. “You even taste perfect.”
“Stop it and get off me!” Andie said, playfully pushing him away. “If you’re finished eating, let me take the plates down before Miss Rosilda goes mad.”
She gathered up the plates, forks and glasses and piled them on the wicker trays.
“Let me help you,” Nathan offered.
“It’s okay,” Andie told him. “Stay here. I can manage. Soon come.”
Nathan watched her as she left the room, balancing her load. He smiled after her. She was so cute, in her mini denim skirt and oversized top. His stomach turned, and he was sure it was not Theresa’s lasagne. It was something else, and he was positive that the something that he felt was love. He loved Andie, plain and simple. He had two weeks to wrap up the bet. He frowned to himself. It was never a good idea to mix business with pleasure. Six weeks ago, Andie was business. Now she was something else. With a sigh, he got off the trunk, and wandered around Andie’s bedroom. Despite Rosilda’s nasty attitude, she was obviously an excellent housekeeper. That was probably why Dr and Mrs Persaud put up with her. There was a place for everything, and everything was in its place – well, almost everything. A tiny green foam ball had fallen from the desk to the floor. He knelt to pick it up and noticed a pink and white album peeking out from under Andie’s books. Curiously, Nathan pulled it out. The cover was made of pink satin, and engraved in gold with her full name – Anne Dru Janine Persaud. The date was September 9, 1982. It was not an album. It was Andie’s baby book. Nathan opened it up. The first page had the details of Andie’s birth on it. She was born, as she said, at the Lennox Hill Hospital at eight forty-five in the evening. Nathan noted that she had been only three and a half pounds heavy and eighteen inches long. He turned the page and saw Andie’s first picture. She looked, he thought, like a boiled lobster.
Andie re-entered the room, startling him a bit. “What you looking at?” She asked.
“Your baby book,” Nathan told her.
Andie did a double take. “What? Oh no, you’re not. Give it over.”
“C’mon, Andie!” Nathan said, turning the page. “Just easy, nuh?”
“I’m serious!” Andie said, getting cross. “I don’t want you looking in there.”
“Why not?” Nathan asked, holding the book above his head. He was amused to see Andie jumping for it.
“Because it’s mine, and I say you must give it!” Andie demanded. She gave up jumping, and held out her hand.
“Make me!” Nathan challenged.
“I’m not playing with you, Nathan!” Andie said. “Hand over my baby book by the time I say ten, or you’re going to be sorry.”
Nathan laughed. “Oh please! What could you possibly do to me?”
“Don’t test me!” Andie warned. “Nine…”
Nathan looked at her smugly. Before he could blink, Andie hopped on to his back, and wrapped her powerful swimmer’s arms and legs around him.
“Drop my baby book!” She screamed.
“Never!” Nathan screamed back. He spun around in circles, trying to get her off his back.
“You’re making me dizzy!” Andie protested.
“Well let go!”
“Drop my book first!” She bargained.
“I’d rather drop you!” Nathan flung himself to her bed, and ended up somewhat sitting on her lap. She was still holding on around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist.
“You’re squishing me out, Nathan!” Andie told him, sounding muffled.
“If you’d let go of my neck, I could get off you!” Nathan pointed out.
“Fine!” Nathan agreed.
Andie let go, and Nathan rolled to the side and handed her the book.
“Thank you!” Andie began to get up to replace her baby book, but Nathan pulled her back to the bed.
“What’s the big deal with me seeing your baby book?” He asked, stroking her flushed face.
“I was an ugly baby,” Andie told him, turning even redder.
“No you weren’t, you liar!” Nathan said. “You were beautiful as a baby, and you’re even more beautiful now.”
“Nathan…”
“Andie, you are!” Nathan repeated. “I’ve told you that before, and I mean it. Don’t ever think anything to the contrary. You make me feel things that I should not want to feel…”
“What sort of things?” Andie asked. She knew she sounded naïve, but when she was so close to Nathan, her mouth could never find the right words to say.
Nathan could not find the right words either, because he hesitated for a while before slipping his hand under the hair at the back of her neck, and pulling her close.
“What kind of things do you think I mean?” He whispered. He did not give her the chance to answer, but immediately covered her lips with his.
When Nathan’s lips touched hers, it was the last coherent moment Andie had. She forgot she was at home, and Rosilda was just downstairs, and her mother could come home at any moment. Her only thoughts were of Nathan’s touch, and the quivering it aroused in her. Nathan pressed her back against the pillows behind her. She felt the erratic pulse of his heart against hers, as he deepened the kiss.
Andie sank deeper into the pillows until Nathan was somehow lying on top of her. His fingers deftly unfastened the buttons of her shirt and dipped beneath the cotton fabric to find her breast. As he caressed the hardened tip, his lips left hers and nibbled her earlobe, tickled her neck, then followed the same path his fingers had taken. Andie tipped her head back and rose her chest up to meet his touch, allowing his lips to taste her skin. Nathan’s fingers trailed under her skirt and up her legs with no desire to stop anywhere decent. Her heart was racing, and her body had grown hot, and ached with the desire to be touched. The desire burning in her was so overwhelming that she could not prevent the tiny gasp that escaped her lips.
