Page 38 of The Fool

The following day, I’m called into his office and asked if I can do a working lunch with him this Thursday. Apparently, we are to attend a meeting together that same afternoon and he wants to run through the specific points I need to pick up on so I can record them word for word. I agreed that this would be ok. Not only was he polite the entire time, but he also said I could have Friday afternoon off for time in lieu. When I returned to my desk, I have to admit I felt a little lightheaded. Everything seemed to be going along so easily and so normally, that I immediately felt suspicious. But perhaps this is simply because I’m not used to it and I’m now trying to find faults in places where there are none.

That evening, after hours of overthinking, I decide to call Callie to get an outsider’s opinion on things.

“So, what do you think? Am I being paranoid?” I ask in between chewing on my fingernail.

“Probably,” she replies bluntly, “but it’s completely understandable. Nate is one of my closest friends, but even I’ll say he’s been an asshole to you.”

“He kind of explained why, then went off on this weird tangent, suggesting that he has feelings for me,” I tell her, my cheeks blushing over the memory of him caging me in. “I was too angry to take any real note of it, but even if I did, how could I possibly trust him? The idea of me and him is ludicrous after all that has happened.”

“Guys are funny creatures, but what I will say is this, the Nate you’ve been having to deal with over the last eighteen months, is not the real Nate. Unfortunately, he took your shyness, your standoffish demeanor, as some sort of insult, which, to be fair, was only reinforced by his own insecurities. Now, you can either remain cautious and keep your distance, or you can decide to start again with him. And I’m not talking about a romantic relationship, I’m talking about two people who have got off on the wrong foot.”

“Look, I can admit, I find it hard when meeting new people, Nathaniel in particular. I knew about the Carters before I even started working for Cameron; I felt deeply intimidated by them.”

“Not so much with Cameron, though, why is that?” she asks me with curiosity in her voice.

“I don’t know, maybe because we’re the same age,” I quickly reply, trying to get around mentioning my sordid past.

“Hmm, maybe,” she says, not sounding quite so convinced. “Baby steps, Bea. Though, I am almost certain that his behavior now isn’t some sort of attempt to get at you. Of that, I think you can trust him.”

A silent pause ensues while I try to process it all.

“So, seeing as I have Friday afternoon off, and I know you leave work early on a Friday, do you fancy meeting in town to do some light shopping?” I ask with hope in my voice.

“Of course,” she replies, “I’m always up for retail therapy. Anyway, I’ve got to go, babe, but we’ll continue this conversation on Friday,” she says in a rush. “You can also tell me what happened at this working lunch.”

Oh, crumbs, yeah, the working lunch!

_____

Bea

Thursday arrives much sooner than I expected. I barely slept, and I’ve been a bag of nerves all morning. Believe it or not, I’ve never had to spend that much time with Nathaniel just by myself, which was something I was always immensely relieved by. But now that we’re about to spend at least an hour together, I feel strangely excited about it. Something is telling me that this hour will be a turning point in our relationship. Perhaps Callie is right, and we can begin again. Forgive and forget. Let bygones be bygones.

“Nathaniel, would you like me to go and get some sandwiches in for our meeting?” I buzz through the intercom.

“Er, thank you, Bea, but I thought we’d go out for lunch,” he suggests, “just give me five.”

“Oh, ok,” I reply, though these are not the words currently running through my head. However, those words would not be deemed acceptable in a workplace environment. “I-I’ll just wait here until you are ready.”

“Great, just signing off now,” he says and within moments, I hear his door creak open. He’s never looked so intimidating, but with a beaming smile aimed directly at me. Nathaniel Carter has always been extremely attractive, even when he was at school and chasing after cheerleaders.

“Oh, my God, Bea,” Emma gushes as she comes running in wearing her yellow and bright blue cheerleading outfit. I merely quirk a brow at her for further explanation, for this sort of dramatic greeting is not at all unusual since she discovered boys last year. We could not be more different, though perhaps this is why we get along so well.

“Who now?” I ask in a bored tone of voice, only to end up laughing when she throws her hands over her chest and begins batting her eyelashes in my direction.

“No, this one is the one, Bea. I am totally, undeniably, unequivocally in love!”

“Oh, Lord,” I groan at the same time as she comes flying over to the couch where I’m reading ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ for perhaps the fifth time. Dean and I are going on a date tonight; he has big expectations, and I no longer feel like I can deny him. Hence reading my comfort book and trying to channel my inner favorite heroine, Beatrice.

“The girls and I went to that diner over on the posh part of town. You know, the one where they serve shakes that are ridiculously good,” she begins explaining.

“Sure, I know the one, you better not eat any more sugar for at least the rest of the week,” I warn her. Though, those shakes are totally worth the health hazard of consuming your weekly recommended calorie intake in one sitting.

“Well, some of the kids from Westlake were there, and oh, my God, were they gorgeous!” she beams, looking up to a higher power as though thanking them for creating such works of art. “So, of course, we had to pick which one was ours.”

“Of course,” I tease.

“And being the youngest, I had to wait until last,” she says with an eye roll. “But the joke was on them because just as I was about to choose none other than Nathaniel Carter walked in!”

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