Starring You and Me

by Susan Coventry

  “Number two, he’s an early riser.”

  Julie set her fork down with a loud clang. “Why, so he can get up and make your breakfast?”

  “No. He usually goes for a morning run.”

  “Oh, I see, so he can keep himself in great shape; poor you! What’s the third flaw?”

  Nikki tightened her fingers around the handle of her beer mug. “He’s leaving soon. That’s it; that’s the third flaw.” A tear pricked her right eye and then her left, and then they streamed, unbidden, down her face in rapid succession.

  “Oh, Nikki, I’m so sorry, sweetie.” Julie reached across the table and clasped Nikki’s hand.

  Nikki swatted her tears away. “I’m such an idiot. I don’t know why I’m bawling. I knew from the beginning that he was only going to be here for a short time. I have no right to feel this way.”

  “Are you kidding me? You have every right. You’re a woman in love.”

  Nikki jerked her head up, shocked at Julie’s assumption. “I didn’t say anything about being in love. I’m going to miss him, that’s all.”

  “Come on, Nicole. It’s me you’re talking to. Don’t tell me it’s obvious to everyone but you?”

  “Even if I did love him, what difference does it make? He’s leaving in less than two months. He’ll probably forget all about me when he moves back to L.A.”

  “I don’t think you really believe that. You’re just scared, and that’s ok. It’s normal to be a little scared when you’re in love.”

  “Stop saying that!” It struck Nikki that she hadn’t felt scared when she’d fallen for John. Why was that? Did it mean she never really loved him? Why was it so different with Nate?” Nikki decided it was time for a subject change. “Enough talk about Nate; let’s go shopping.”

  A short time later, Nikki was shoved into a fitting room, weighed down with jeans, tops, skirts, and dresses that Julie deemed worthy of her body. After making a hefty purchase in the clothing department, they moved on to shoes and then lingerie. Here, they lingered for quite a while, fingering the delicate lace underthings designed to make a woman feel sexy. Julie made some selections too, much to Nikki’s chagrin. She scowled at Julie and said, “Ew, that’s for my brother.” Julie just smiled in response.

  They shared a long hug in the parking lot before going their separate ways. It was actually nice to have “girl time,” and admittedly, Julie was the best at helping her pick out clothes. Nikki couldn’t wait to see Nate’s reaction to her new wardrobe, especially some of the sexy lingerie. Her thoughts drifted to their bet as she concocted her winning strategy. Maybe, if she held him off until the weekend, he would be unable to resist her once they got to Grand Rapids. Look at me, turning into a temptress!

  When Nate called that night, Nikki set her plan in motion. After giving him a rundown of her shopping date, minus the crying part, she brought up the weekend.

  “I don’t think I’m going to be available until we leave on Saturday,” she said, trying to keep a straight face (even though he couldn’t see her).

  “Why not?”

  “That new client I told you about, Mrs. Watson. She’s got me running all over the place just like the Rosenfelds did.”

  They talked about her client for a few more minutes; Nate was an active listener, as always. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to wait until Saturday then.”

  Hearing the disappointment in Nate’s voice, Nikki almost gave up the ruse, but in the end, her competitive side won out. “I’ll miss you,” she said softly.

  “I already miss you.”

  It was all she could do not to hang up the phone and run through the woods to Nate’s house. She wondered if he felt the same. “It’s only a couple more days,” she said, trying to convince them both.

  “It’ll probably go by fast,” he affirmed.

  “Think about me,” she said.

  “Always,” he replied.

  That night, when Nikki climbed into bed, she curled herself around the spare pillow. If she felt this lonely when they were apart for a couple days, how on earth would she handle it when Nate left for good?

  Chapter 36

  Nikki waited anxiously on her front porch, overnight bag in hand, when Nate pulled up on Saturday morning. She had taken Bentley to her parents’ house the night before, so she was all set to go. Nate hopped out of the SUV and strolled toward her to take her bag, a broad smile plastered across his face. He grabbed her bag with one hand and pulled her in with the other, crushing her against his chest.

  Oh yeah, he was definitely losing the bet this weekend. He claimed her lips as if he hadn’t seen her in months rather than just a few days, and Nikki responded in kind. Her toes were still tingling when he let go and led her to the car.

  “I thought this day would never get here,” he said as they backed down the driveway.

  “I agree, but now we have the whole weekend together,” she replied, giddy at the thought of it.

  “The only thing that would make it better is if I had you all to myself.”

  “Well, we have the next two hours to ourselves, which gives us plenty of time to talk.”

  “Talking wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Nate wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

  “I know what you meant, but we made a bet, remember? How are you going to win if you can’t even wait until we get to Grand Rapids?”

  Nate sighed. “Yes, I remember the damn bet. Dumbest thing I’ve ever gambled on.”

  “Don’t be a grump. We should use this time to get to know each other better.”

  Nate shot her a sideways glance. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Let’s come up with a number of questions to ask each other. We can take turns; it’ll be fun.”

  Nate’s expression said her idea sounded as fun as a root canal. “Ok, fine. Can we pass on a question if we don’t want to answer it?”

  “We can each have one pass, but then you have to answer a replacement question.”

  “Are these made-up rules, or is this a legit game?”

  Nikki giggled. “I’ve done this before with my girlfriends back in the sleepover days.”

  “Ohh, now there’s a topic we can discuss. Did you have pillow fights too?”

  Nikki reached across the seat and swatted his arm. “You sound just like my brother.”

  “It’s a guy thing,” Nate said with a shrug.

  “Let’s focus here. How about five questions each?”

  “Fine, you start.”

  “My first question for you is when did you decide to become an actor?”

  “That’s an easy one,” Nate said, settling back into his seat. “I was in tenth grade, and the drama club was putting on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There was this girl, Emily, who convinced me to try out for it.”

  “Hmm, and was this girl important to you?”

  “She was at the time. Anyway, I got the part and discovered that I really enjoyed acting. It was fun to get up on stage and pretend to be someone else for a while. I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.”

  Nikki loved hearing him talk passionately about his craft. In fact, she loved listening to him talk about basically anything. Nate had a way of commanding attention without being showy.

  “So what ever became of you and Emily?”

  “That’s the tragic part; Shakespeare’s got nothing on high-school drama! She broke up with me when the play ended.”

  Nikki rubbed his arm consolingly. “First rejection?”

  “Yes, but it wouldn’t be my last. After I was cast in my first big movie role, I sent her a thank you note.”

  “Really? What did you thank her for?”

  “I thanked her for introducing me to the world of acting.”

  “Did she ever respond?”

  “No, but I didn’t expect her to. Ok, now it’s my turn.”

  Nikki braced herself for his first question. “Shoot.”

  “Where do you see yourself in five ye
ars?”

  Her thoughts scrambled around in her brain as she tried to figure out the best response. Her first instinct had been to say, “With you,” but she wasn’t that brave. “No fair, that’s a tough one.”

  “Your game, not mine.”

  Nikki took a deep breath and plunged in. “I would like to grow my business, maybe even have a few real estate agents working for me and…”

  “What about personally?”

  “I was going to say maybe be in a serious relationship with a great guy.” There, she said it. She snuck a peek at Nate to gage his reaction, but his expression remained neutral.

  “Hmm… interesting, I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, you seem to like your independence. You have your own house, your own business, no one to answer to…”

  Nikki suddenly felt defensive; his portrayal of her wasn’t completely accurate. “Who says I can’t have it all? Why do I have to give something up in order to be with someone?”

  “Whoa, there. I’m not criticizing you, Nicole; I’m just a little surprised. When I first met you, you were anti-relationship, remember?”

  “Yes, I remember, but people change. Maybe I’m coming around to the idea.”

  Nate shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Nikki decided a change of topic was needed. The air inside the car suddenly felt thick, and she cracked her window a little. “It’s my turn again. Who was your celebrity crush when you were a teenager?”

  “Julia Roberts,” Nate answered immediately.

  “Why her?”

  “Does that count as your third question?”

  Nikki shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Her smile, hands down. Well, that and the movie Pretty Woman.”

  “That was a good movie,” she admitted.

  “My turn, and I’ll ask you the same question.”

  “Easy, Leonardo DiCaprio.”

  “Really? Was it because of Titanic?”

  “Partly, but mostly, I like his eyes.” Nate studied her thoughtfully, until she asked, “What? Did my answer surprise you again?”

  “Not really. I was just wondering who your celebrity crush is now.”

  Nikki gave him her best Julia Roberts smile. “I think you know the answer to that one.”

  Nate’s eyes sparkled as he looked back to the road.

  Chapter 37

  A while later, Nate pulled up in front of a neat brick ranch on a tree-lined street where all the houses looked basically the same.

  “So this is where you grew up,” Nikki said.

  “Yep, and not much has changed since I lived here.”

  Nikki thought she heard a note of apology in his voice and wondered why. His neighborhood looked similar to the one where she had grown up. It was nothing fancy, but her childhood home contained a lot of great memories, and she guessed that Nate’s did too.

  As Nate extracted their bags from the back, the screen door opened, and his parents stepped out on the porch. Nikki gathered her courage as she followed Nate up the sidewalk.

  Nate’s mom greeted them with an exuberant smile as he bent down to kiss her cheek. Nate shook his dad’s hand, and the similarities between the two were striking; his dad, although gray-haired, was tall and broad shouldered, and he had the same sparkling hazel eyes. “Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Nicole Branson.”

  Girlfriend? That’s the first time Nate’s referred to me as his girlfriend! “It’s very nice to meet you both. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Nicole. You can call me Jean, and this big lug is Tom.” Jean gestured affectionately to her husband, who gave her a playful eye roll.

  “It’s about time Nate brought someone home to meet us! Come on inside,” Tom said.

  Nikki stole a glance at Nate, who shook his head in mock exasperation. Jean directed Nate where to put their bags and then ushered them into the dining room, where a full lunch spread awaited them. There’s easily enough food for ten people here, Nikki thought as Nate gallantly pulled out her chair.

  “Mom, you didn’t have to do all this. We could have gone out for lunch.”

  “Nonsense. Besides, the whole town is buzzing with news of your appearance at the high school. If we went to a restaurant, we’d probably get mobbed.”

  “Good point,” Nate conceded as he passed Nikki a bowl of potato salad. Once everybody’s plates were filled, Tom bowed his head and said a quick prayer. Nate clasped Nikki’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze, which she returned.

  The food was delicious, and the conversation flowed easily as Tom and Jean proved to be just as engaging as Nate. They asked Nikki the requisite questions about her job and family, but after that, they discussed everything from movies to books to current events. Nikki marveled at how at ease she felt sitting at their dining room table, like she belonged there.

  After lunch, Nikki offered to help clean up, but Jean wouldn’t hear of it. “You’re our guest. Just relax and keep me company. Tom, didn’t you want to show Nate your new woodworking project?”

  Tom took the hint and motioned to Nate. “Son, join me in the basement so these ladies can talk.”

  Nate glanced at Nikki as if to seek permission, and she nodded her assent. As soon as the men left the room, Jean set down her dish rag. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that Nate brought you here. He hasn’t brought a woman home since college.”

  Nikki’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Nate had told her that dating was tough, but she had expected there to have been someone special after college.

  “I’m just so happy for him, for both of you,” she gushed.

  Nikki wasn’t sure how to respond to Jean’s enthusiasm. True, Nate had referred to her as his girlfriend, but they hadn’t really defined their relationship as serious. They obviously liked each other a lot, and they were good together in many ways, but did they have a future together? Jean certainly thought so, but would Nate agree? Jean stared at her expectantly, waiting for some response, but Nikki was at a loss. Luckily, the sound of Tom and Nate clomping up the stairs put a halt to the conversation.

  When the men re-entered the kitchen, Nate looked back and forth between Nikki and his mother suspiciously. “What’s going on in here?”

  “Nothing, dear. I was just telling Nicole how happy I am that she’s here.”

  “I am too,” Nate said sweetly.

  “Why don’t you show her around town while I clean up?”

  “Sounds like a good idea. Take a drive with me?” Nate offered, seemingly eager to get her alone.

  “Sure,” Nikki replied, and she followed him out the door.

  Nate drove them around the area, pointing out his elementary school and his best friend’s house, adding some amusing anecdotes along the way. After making a loop around the neighborhood, he stopped at a local park, donned a Detroit Tigers ball cap and sunglasses, and led her to a park bench surrounded by tall oak trees.

  “I used to come here a lot as a kid; it was a great place to play hide and seek.”

  “I can see why,” she said, noting the abundance of trees. Weekends spent at a Michigan park were coming to a close. The days were getting shorter and cooler, and Nikki pulled her jacket tighter around her.

  Nate noticed and moved closer, wrapping his arm snugly around her shoulders. “Is this ok? If you’re too cold, we can go back.”

  “No, I’m fine. I like it here.” Nikki wasn’t in a big hurry to go back to his parents’ house. As nice as they were, she was enjoying the intimacy of being alone with Nate.

  “So, what were you and my mom discussing earlier? You two looked pretty serious.”

  “She was just asking how we met and how long we’d been seeing each other.”

  “That’s it?”

  “She may have mentioned that you haven’t brought a woman home since college.” Nikki watched in amusement as various emotions flickered across Nate’s face.

  “That’s a fact. Up until
now, I haven’t been with anyone special enough to take home to Mom and Dad.”

  Nate’s admission emboldened Nikki. “You introduced me as your girlfriend. Is that really how you think of me?”

  Nate nodded. “Yeah, anything wrong with that?”

  “No, there’s nothing wrong with it. It sounded… nice.”

  “I’m glad,” Nate said and squeezed her even tighter.

  They were silent for a few minutes, enjoying the peacefulness of the empty park. Nikki debated about taking their conversation one step further, but in the end, she decided not to. She couldn’t expect Nate to make promises that he might not be able to keep. Besides, she wasn’t even completely sure of her own feelings. For now, she was going to be content with what they had and try not to worry about the future.

  That evening, Nate insisted they order pizza so his mom didn’t have to cook again. It took some convincing, but Jean finally gave in. They enjoyed a casual pizza dinner and then gathered in the living room to watch television. Nate and his dad played tug-o-war with the remote for a few seconds before Jean snatched it away from them.

  “We’re not going to sit here and watch sports when we have a guest. It’s Nicole’s choice,” Jean declared vehemently.

  In the end, they all settled on Top Gun, which seemed like a good compromise. The guys liked the action, and Jean referred to Tom Cruise as eye candy for the ladies. They all laughed, but Nate’s mortified expression made Nikki laugh the most. Two hours later, Nate nudged his sleeping parents awake and sent them off to bed.

  Suddenly Nate and Nikki were alone, illuminated only by the dim light of the TV screen. Nikki’s senses went on high alert as they faced each other in the cozy living room. The sound of the grandfather clock ticking loudly competed with the sound of her beating heart as Nate closed the gap between them.

  “Have you forgotten about the bet?” she whispered as he bent down as if to kiss her.

  “No,” he answered gruffly.

  His lips were just a fraction away from hers. “Well, then maybe we shouldn’t do this.” Nikki’s words were in direct opposition with her emotions. She longed for Nate’s kiss, for his touch, for his entire being.