Sandra Panting - About Last Summer

She stared at the front door knowing she must look pretty silly sitting in the driveway afraid to walk into her own house. Which meant she needed to suck it up. Surely she could manage a few minutes of polite chitchat before going to her room? Knowing that the moment she saw Chase again her mind would refocus on last night’s kiss, she braced herself for the inevitable and headed inside.

Given that her brother wouldn’t be moving out for a few weeks yet, she hadn’t had the opportunity to give the house her own touch. The first thing she’d get rid of was that boring beige carpet. And what was up with those drab white curtains? Didn’t Patrick realize there was such a thing as color? But then again here was a man whose every car he’d ever owned was white, and every suit he ever owned was pinstriped.

Peeling off her shoes at the door, by design Natalie kept her gaze from straying to the living room. She could hear Patrick, Erica, and Chase talking just out of vision range. The low murmur of the television was distinguishable just below the volume of voices. Briefly she debated slipping upstairs without saying anything, but of course Patrick would wonder why. Although thoughts of that kiss last night had been stirring in her mind all day. Why had she let Chase kiss her?

Well, she knew why. She had wanted him to, but the why beyond that was a bit more complicated. But Chase was going to be here for several weeks yet, and she couldn’t avoid him forever. She could try, but she never did the hermit thing very well, and besides she was starving. Unfortunately, when she bought this house it hadn’t come with room service.

Having run out of excuses to linger, she proceeded into the living room.

“So, how was the wedding?” Erica, dressed in basic jeans and a simple yellow T, indicated she, Patrick and Chase must have stayed in tonight, although given Patrick appeared to mostly be conversing with Chase, Natalie suspected Erica was glad Natalie was back.

Erica and Patrick were on the couch, whereas Chase was seated in a blue checked armchair several feet away. The twin of that armchair was located on the other side of the couch. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to sit so close to Chase, Natalie took the remaining seat.

Praying her nerves weren’t showing, she recounted a few details about the wedding. Patrick and Chase were discussing something that sounded like baseball scores, but Natalie was too busy feeling nervous to pay much attention.

Just the sight of Chase sitting there in a simple gray T-shirt and well-worn jeans looking more gorgeous than any man had a right to, had her imagination going a mile a minute. And her thoughts weren’t stopping with last night’s kiss. They had gone all the way back to last year, and for some of her foggier recollections her imagination provided an alternative, but nonetheless erotic, scenario.

It was bad enough to just look at a guy and feel turned on, but it truly sucked when she became a victim of her own over-active imagination. She needed chocolate, and a Diet Coke. The chocolate was to soothe her agitated nerves, and the Diet Coke was to counteract the calories in the chocolate. That was basic How To Get Over A Guy 101. Granted that ploy never worked, but it gave her an excuse to eat chocolate.

After scrounging up a simple meal that unfortunately didn’t include chocolate, she chatted with Erica about the wedding and other random things while doing her best to ignore Chase. Finally the clock neared eleven and, assuming the hour would justify her desire to go to bed, she excused herself. The feel of Chase’s eyes on her when she exited the room heightened her uneasiness, but with Patrick sitting nearby, she pretended to not notice.

*****

“OK, Natalie.” Erica plopped onto the chair across from Natalie at the kitchen table. “What’s going on?”

Although it was still fairly early on a Monday morning, Erica’s red hair was perfectly styled and her makeup expertly applied. Natalie usually considered herself on top of things if she took a shower and put on something besides sweat pants.

Not entirely certain what Erica was getting at, but fairly certain it wasn’t anything good, Natalie continued to flip through the pages of Brides Monthly .

“What do you mean what’s going on?” Briefly Natalie spared Erica a glance before returning her attention to her magazine. The trend of brides choosing more than one gown for their wedding day was catching on. Now many brides wanted one dress for the ceremony and another for the reception.

With a disgusted sigh, Erica slid the magazine away from Natalie. “I’m talking about you and Chase. Last year I thought you two had become friends, but now you act like you can’t stand to be in the same room with him.”

Not caring for the dangerous course this conversation was taking, Natalie sipped at her orange juice. In the three days since Chase’s arrival, Natalie had made it a point to be in any room that he wasn’t. Apparently she had taken the whole avoidance thing a bit too far.

Determined to play it cool, Natalie tucked back a length of her hair. “So?” she said, leveling her gaze with Erica’s. “Chase had a lot of stuff going on last year, and you and Patrick were busy planning your wedding. We spent some time together because Chase needed a friend. But Chase is here to visit with Patrick, not me.”

Erica however didn’t appear to be buying it, as her accusing expression didn’t change. “Something happened between you, didn’t it?”

Erica knew Natalie way too well, but given the two women had been friends since college that wasn’t exactly surprising.

“That is ridiculous.” Natalie scooped up another bite of oatmeal, although it was more to disguise her sudden panic than to satisfy any hunger.

If Erica discovered the truth about Natalie and Chase then she would tell Patrick and Patrick would freak. Natalie didn’t want to be the one responsible for ruining Patrick and Chase’s friendship. Although it wasn’t easy for Natalie to not confide in Erica. Last year, more than once, Natalie had been tempted to tell Erica everything. Natalie could have used Erica’s advice, she still could, but unfortunately confiding in Erica wasn’t a luxury Natalie had.

“What’s so ridiculous about it?” Erica asked, her red hair almost orange from the sunlight drifting in through the window. “I always thought you had a bit of a thing for him.”

“Please.” Natalie wiped her hands on a napkin. “Chase’s a great looking guy, granted there’s not much to not like, but there’s nothing more to it than that.”

Her chair scraped slightly across the wooden flooring as Natalie pushed it back and carried her bowl to the sink. She still had a fair bit of oatmeal left, but her appetite had vanished. Lying to Erica wasn’t improving her state of mind any.

“Fine.” Erica’s heavy sigh carried across the room. “Don’t tell me.”

“I’m not telling you anything because there’s nothing to tell.” There was probably a special place in hell for people who lied to their best friends, although it was just as likely there was also a place for sisters who destroyed friendships between their brothers and his friends. Either way she looked at it, Natalie’s options weren’t great.

“I have to get to work.” Erica stood, resignation heavy in her tone. Erica worked as a sous chef at a trendy Baker Hill restaurant, The Waterworks, and she no doubt needed to prepare for the lunch crowd. “But when you’re ready to tell me the truth, you know where to find me.”

“Erica,” Natalie called after her friend’s retreating form, guilt squirming in her stomach, but Erica didn’t pause. Natalie shut off the water and reached for a dish towel. She should have seen this coming, but even if she had what could she have done about it?