by Cee, DW
Nolan: I...nsane
“Why did you insist Eddie and I join you here?”
“Cam. We have a free place to stay. Why spend money when it isn’t necessary?”
My friend was unhappy with this situation and especially with me. Eddie, speaker number one, tried to help. “This apartment is kickass, Cam. It’s not far from our tournament location, Moscone Center, it’s right across from AT&T Park so we can catch a game, and like Nolan said, it’s free!”
“When has it been such a hardship to get a hotel room? I don’t want to stay here.” Cam was loud enough for the everyone at AT&T Park to hear her. “After practice, I’m leaving.”
“Leaving?” Shit. If it wasn’t bad enough that Cam was pissed to be in this apartment, Delilah walked in and wondered what the argument was about. “Why are you leaving, Cam? What’s wrong? Why are you yelling at your friend, Nolan?” This five-foot-nine blonde bombshell protecting my five-foot-two blonde warrior made me chuckle. There wasn’t anything about Delilah I didn’t love.
“Sorry, Cam. My bad. Let’s forget all that’s happened and focus on the day ahead.” I pleaded with my best friend. “Could we do that for now?”
“Fine,” she said grudgingly.
With much interest and intent, Delilah watched us and slowly handed my laptop back to me. “I’m done. I hope that was helpful.”
“Thank you. I’m sure you did a great job.”
Right before she left us, Delilah said, “Dad wants to thank you for your good work today at the office. He and my aunts and uncles are at dinner. He invited you to join them if you want…” stopping to gauge the atmosphere, she decided, “never mind. Dad can take you to dinner another time. I’ll give you some peace.”
“Where will you be?” I wanted her to stay. Though with Cam here, that wasn’t going to be fun.
“I was going to join my family for dinner if you could attend, but since you can’t, Nicky and I are going to grab a bite to eat. Would you like me to bring back something for everyone?”
Why was I this surprised, and pleased as hell, that she was wanting to attend dinner with me and her family? Something had changed since our stay in New York. I knew it. I felt it.
“We’ll just order a pizza, Delilah. Don’t worry about us.”
She wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure? Nicky and I could take our dinners to go. Why don’t we do that? We’ll go to the Ferry Building and get Vietnamese food. Do you all eat Vietnamese?” She looked to my partners for approval. Eddie gave two thumbs up. Cam pretended she was busy on the computer.
“Whatever you want to eat is fine with us, Delilah. Thank you.” I walked her to the door so she wouldn’t be subjected to my friend who was doing her damnedest to ignore her.
“Nolan?” Delilah whispered and pulled me out of the room. She then whispered in my ear like a little girl. “Why doesn’t Cam like me? Did I do something wrong? I’d love for us to be friends. I hope I didn’t offend her somehow. You’ll let me know if I did?”
It was moments like these where I was screwed because I was too in love with Delilah Rose Taylor. I kissed the tip of her nose and said, “You’ve been an incredible hostess, Delilah. Please excuse Cam. She’s usually friendlier, but there are some unresolved issues with us. She’s mad at me, not you.”
Delilah peeked into the room and then decided to close the door altogether. “Why is she upset with you? What’d you do wrong? You’re such a sweet guy.”
The chuckle that escaped made Delilah realize what she’d said. “You think so?” I countered her statement. “You’re always mad at me. I could’ve sworn everything I did with you and for you was wrong.”
Her lips curled slightly, and then some more. Damn. I was lost in the sudden giggles. How could one woman have it all?
“Sorry.” She straightened her face and displayed the pretense of a stern schoolmaster. “Get back to work, Nolan O’Shaughnessy. Your group is counting on you. I expect nothing less than first place at tomorrow’s competition.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” I whispered and couldn’t help but kiss the tip of her nose one more time.
By the time I returned, I was on cloud nine. This was the closest I’d felt to Delilah. Of course, the good feelings didn’t last; Cam yelled from the other side of the room that I was wasting all their time. After a gentle squeeze to her arm, I was back to work.
Luck, good and bad, came in all forms. Late in the night, or rather, early in the morning, Eddie woke up to horrendous nausea coupled with vomiting. With all the racket we were making, Nicky came out from his room to help and eventually went to wake up his cousin.
“I don’t think I’ll make it to the competition today, Nole. Can you and Cam handle it without me?” Eddie asked in between retching up yesterday’s meals.
For any normal competition, I’d say no problem. With this being a qualifier for Nationals, I didn’t think we could do it. “It’s all right, Eddie. I’ll call Cam and ask if she wants to withdraw. It’s going to be difficult for us to handle a three-man team with only two people.”
“I’m sorry, Man. What crappy luck.”
“No worries. This is only for fun. Let me call Cam.” My best friend decided not to stay in the Reid apartment last night. She was staying at the W Hotel, across from our debate site.
“Nolan?” Delilah called after getting Eddie some more water. “Can I help?”
“Thank you, Delilah. You’ve been a great help, already. Why don’t you get back to sleep? I’ll take care of Eddie.”
“What I mean is...” she held back, somewhat, before saying, “can I help you with your debate?”
I wasn’t sure what Delilah was talking about until Nicky said, “You’re talking to a state champion debater, Nolan. Lilah and her mother can talk rings around any expert debater or lawyer. Uncle Donovan forever wanted his wife and daughter to take over his half of the company. He’s still waiting for Lilah to head to law school.”
“Really?” I asked in huge surprise. “How did I not know this about you?” My informant had been negligent in telling me this bit about my future bride. “I thought I knew everything about you.”
With a bashful grin she said, “A girl’s gotta have some secrets.”
What the hell had happened between us? How had we gotten this close? Whatever was happening, I didn’t want it to end. “Thank you. I accept.” I secured her help before she decided against it.
Delilah: I...mpossible
“You sure you want to do this?” Nicky whispered when we left Nolan to care for Eddie. “I’m all good with you and Nolan, but what about Rhys?”
“Rhys and I are...” I didn’t know how to answer this thought. It wasn’t that we had any huge issue. It was that every time we talked, whether on the phone or in person, we argued. Maybe all young people in love argued? I had no idea since I’d never been in love before. “We’ll talk more later, Nicky. Right now, I need to get Nolan’s notes and study the topics. I have a long night ahead of me.”
That’s what I did the rest of the night. I felt really good about myself, and how well I knew the subjects until I saw Cam at Moscone Center. Her “what the hell is she doing here?” set the tone for the rest of the morning.
No matter how well I filled in for Eddie, Cam was unhappy. Even with our landslide win in the last morning rounds, she was pissed. I didn’t know what to do with this situation.
Nolan was between a rock and a hard place; I felt terrible for him. “How about we celebrate our morning wins with lunch or tea at the Rotunda? We can get some fresh air by walking up to Neiman’s and fortify ourselves with a delicious meal. Being inside a convention center all morning is giving me a headache.”
I thought I’d support him by saying, “What a great idea. I love tea at Neiman’s. I’m also starving. Let’s go.”
Of course Cammie was staunchly against the idea. “No. I need to prep for the next round since our substitute is lacking Eddie’s knowledge and presence.”
That dig bugged, but I le
t it go. Nolan, however, didn’t. “Fine, Cam. If you want to stay here, go ahead.” Nolan grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s go.” To that, I followed his dictate.
He was quiet the entire ten-minute walk. I had nothing to add, so I stayed quiet as well. It was only when we arrived at the Rotunda and were seated that he started explaining the drama.
Boy, did he have a mouthful to say. “So you see why it’s my fault? Cam is only reacting to my feelings for you.”
I had to state the obvious, which wasn’t as obvious anymore. “Cam does know that I’m engaged to be married?”
Nolan stared at me as if I’d slapped him in the face. “Are you still...?”
“Nolan.” Damn. I had to convince the man in front of me, as well as myself. “Rhys and I are still engaged to be married. I won’t lie and say I don’t enjoy spending time with you. I do. You and I have a lot in common and my family likes you. However, I’ve pledged myself to another man. He and I are in a bit of a troubled spot right now, but we’ll work through it. We’re just going through growing pains.”
“But, don’t you see how well we get along? You went from hardly acknowledging me in New York to being my debate mate in San Francisco. I know you enjoy being friends. I sure as hell enjoy being your friend. Since I’ve come back into your life, you and Rhys have been on the outs. Your cousins told me that you two had a serious argument in New York. Why can’t you see that he’s not the man for you? He is all wrong for you, Delilah.”
“Right or wrong, in your eyes, he’s my fiancé. We love each other.”
“But you knew each other for a month and got engaged. How much love could there be? Infatuation, maybe, but love? I don’t think so.”
Now that just pissed me off. The reason for my anger wasn’t clear to me, but I knew I had to feel indignant about what Nolan had said. “Who are you to say what’s right and what’s wrong? You and I’ve known each other less than a month. It’s not your place to say who I belong with.”
“You belong with me, Delilah,” Nolan stated succinctly.
This conversation pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. The three of us were all pissed for different reasons, but the effect was the same. This mad-at-the-world attitude put us at the top of our game and we won. However, this mad-at-the-world attitude also had us parting without a good-bye. I went to meet my mom at the Fine Arts Museum, and Cam probably hightailed it back to LA.
Nolan—who knew what Nolan would do?
“How was the competition?” Mom asked with exuberance. “I wish we could’ve been there.”
“We won,” was all I wanted to say.
“You won? That’s it? You won the entire competition and you show this little excitement?”
Before we headed into the Oscar de la Renta dress exhibit, I told my mother everything—from my terrible blow with Rhys to another terrible blow with Nolan to my confused state.
“Do you still love Rhys?”
“Yes,” I answered after giving it some thought.
“Are you beginning to have feelings for Nolan?”
“No,” I answered without a moment’s thought. Mom watched and waited. I gave in and confessed, “It’s not that I have feelings for him. It’s just that everything is much easier with him. I don’t know if it’s because Nolan’s trying to impress me, but we get along well.”
“And with Rhys?”
“We got along just as well when we first started, but now we’re learning that we have differences. These differences shouldn’t be that big of a deal but they are, and we’re both too stubborn to meet halfway.”
Mom placated my hurt by saying, “Every couple has issues, Lilah. Your father and I were plagued with issues from the onset.”
“Then how do you know when a problem is resolvable and when it’s time to let go and move on? I don’t want to find out after I’m married that Rhys and I can’t work out our issues.”
“The best advice I can give you is for you to ask yourself if you love Rhys enough to overlook his iniquities. The same goes for your fiancé. Does he love you enough to cover your faults and even let them go? If so, then yes. You can spend your lifetime loving, caring, and fighting. If no, you need to let each other go now.”
“But we’re engaged, Mom. I’ve made a commitment.”
“Why don’t you talk to Rhys and see about this commitment and whether he still believes in it as strongly as you do? Maybe you both need a time out to come to a resolution?”
Ugh! Why was life so difficult? “But, what about Nolan?”
“What about Nolan? Why do you bring him up when we’re discussing you and Rhys?”
“How do I know if these good feelings with Nolan are just like the good feelings I had with Rhys in the beginning?”
“I didn’t realize that Nolan was on par with Rhys.” Had I just done that?—put my fiancé and Nolan on the same level?
“They’re not, Mom. Never mind.” I had to stop talking before I confused myself even further. “Let’s go enjoy ourselves. How’d you know about this exhibit? It’s perfect for you and me. It would’ve been nice if Auntie Jane and Auntie Emily joined us.” I threw out random thoughts and questions.
Mom answered all my queries in one shot. “Nolan bought two tickets for you and him. Since the exhibit is coming to an end, he was only able to secure two passes. Not even your father could get any more. Knowing how much you and I liked dresses, Nolan gave the passes to your father to give to us. Enough said?”
Shit. That was enough said for sure.
Nolan: I...nvolved
“Yes, Mr. Taylor?” I received an early, unexpected call this morning. “How can I help you?”
“You did a fine job in San Francisco but the case is long from being over. When can you come in? Do you have set work hours?”
Hell. What to say? I had so many damn things going on in my life, another job was the last thing I needed. Had it not been Delilah’s father on the line, I would’ve said no a long time ago.
“I can come in immediately,” was the lame-assed proclamation I’d made. Of course, I got ready in record time and attempted to race down to their downtown office.
Since this past weekend in San Francisco, I was lost. I literally wandered aimlessly after Delilah insisted she was still very much together with her fiancé. After New York and our incredible weekend up north, I thought she would reconsider her position. She sure as hell gave me hope.
That hope was crushed in an instant. Maybe Cam was right. Maybe it wasn’t cool for me to chase after an already-affianced girl. I was sick and tired of thinking about Delilah. There was something I needed to resolve before I would think more about the girl plaguing my mind.
“What do you want?” was the response on Cam’s end when I called her.
“Well hello to you too.”
“Like I said, Nolan, what do you want?”
“I was hoping we could have dinner tonight and talk?”
“Why?” The tone was a little softer so I thought maybe there was hope of a reconciliation.
“Because you’re my best friend, and I haven’t been a good friend to you. Can we meet and discuss what’s been going on with us?”
“All right,” she grudgingly accepted a meal with me. “Text me where and when and I’ll be there. It’s not like I have a job or anything. I suppose I’m free.”
“A job is exactly one of the topics we need to discuss. See you soon?”
