“You have to tell me what to do,” said Grace, a touch of panic edging into her voice. “What do you want me to do?”
Nick stopped walking. Grace stopped too. He stepped in front of her so that she was shielded from the entrance. He looked down at her and his eyes were serious.
"First and foremost, understand this. I had a great time with you, Grace. And I would really hate it if the next five minutes colored your view of me. They probably won't talk to you. They don't care about you. Oh God, that sounds so awful." She shook her head, no, go on. "Just keep moving. Keep your head down. I'll do the rest. Okay?"
She nodded at him. "I had a great time, too."
They looked at each other. A kiss would have been entirely appropriate at this moment, but they both knew they couldn't risk it. Nick turned back toward the entrance. He pushed the door opened and shepherded Grace through. Then he stayed a half step ahead of her as the girls converged on them. Grace kept her head down and kept moving forward. Nick was wonderful with the crowd. He smiled and spoke and let them take his picture, but he didn't slow his pace, just kept moving forward. He signed a couple of autograph books that were thrust in front of him and then they were through the door to the VIP parking area.
"You okay, Grace?" were his first words. She was touched by that.
"I'm good. You were right. I was invisible. Cool."
"You think it's cool?" Nick seemed surprised by her answer.
"Why wouldn't I think that?" she queried. "Why would I want to go through that? I'm nobody."
"First off, you're not 'nobody'..."
Grace shrugged and waved her hand in dismissal. You know what I mean.
"Second, many of the girls I've dated would have been totally pissed to be ignored like that."
"Really. How many of them did you go out with twice?" Stupid thing to say, you moron, she chastised herself. He hasn't asked you out twice.
"Good point," laughed Nick. "Yeah, it's kind of a test sometimes. And by the way, you passed with flying colors."
They drove home without talking. Nick put on the radio and they listened to music. Grace was pretty tired out by the day and fell asleep halfway home. When they arrived at her apartment, Nick was reluctant to wake her. She looked serene when she was asleep. Some people fell asleep with their mouth gaping open or made weird breathing noises. But not Grace. She just leaned her head back and drifted off. Nick wondered if she would tell him he smelled good as she came awake. Or maybe she only did that as she was passing out.
He turned off the engine and went around to her side. He opened the door and leaned in. "Grace," he said softly. "Grace, wake up, we're home." He reached in and touched her arm.
"Mmm..." she said, opening her eyes. She couldn't figure out where she was. She turned her head sideways and saw Nick. She was instantly awake. "Oh, I can't believe I did that."
"It's okay," he said. "The sun and breeze do it to you. If I hadn't been driving, I might have done the same." He helped her out of the car. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. He reached in and grabbed the picnic basket and her bag. They went into the building and made their way across the lobby. Grace gave a small wave at Gary.
The security guard smiled back. "Hope you wore your sunscreen," he called out. She nodded at him. They waited for the elevator in silence. When it arrived, they stepped on and both looked at the floor. They arrived at Grace's floor and got off. At the door, Nick made a big production of the picnic basket. "I wonder what I should do with this. Should I take it back now?"
"No," said Grace. "I'll return it when I'm there next...or Petey can take it the next time I call for pizza." Nick agreed that this might be a good plan.
There was nothing more to say or do. The moment was becoming awkward, so he kissed her. He leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers. She tilted up her head and kissed him back.
"Grace, I don't know...the timing on this...Matt and all...I don't want to get in your way...but I just...I had a good time today."
"Me too, Nick. Thank you. And you are not in the way."
He ran his fingers down her cheek and left. She closed the door and leaned against it. Wow! Quite the day! She was going to have to think about this one. She pushed herself off the door and took a couple of steps. A scent alien to her apartment assailed her nose. She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw, sitting on a table in front of a sofa, a vase full of roses. How did they get here? she wondered. She moved over to them and picked up the card. 'Sorry I missed you. Love you. Matt.' A chill went up her spine. She spun first one way, then the other, as if half expecting him to appear.
She went to the phone and hit the star key with trembling fingers. This connected her to the lobby. "Gary speaking," was what she heard.
"Gary, it's Grace Barrett. Did you let anyone up here today? Was anyone in my apartment?"
"Ah, yes, Ms. Barrett. That was me. You had flowers delivered and I...uh...I didn't know how you'd get them up there, what with your crutches and all, so I just brought them up and put them there...on the table."
Grace sighed in relief. She didn't know what she had been scared of. That Matt still had keys? Or what he might do? Where was that coming from? she wondered.
"Was that okay?" he asked. "I hope I didn't do anything wrong."
"No, no, Gary. That was very kind. It was just a surprise, that's all."
"Um...he delivered them himself. He...uh...he..." Gary took a deep breath. "He came by and you were already gone. He wanted to know where you went, but we didn't tell him..."
"We?" queried Grace.
"Petey was still here. He only missed you by a minute or two. Anyway, we just said you weren't home. He wasn't real happy about it, but he disappeared and then came back a little while later. He had the flowers and said he wanted to put them in your apartment, but I wouldn't let him. He said he was going to leave you a note. Is everything okay, Gra...Ms. Barrett?"
"Everything's fine, Gary. Thank you. That was very sweet of you to think of me. Bye!"
"Bye, Ms. Barrett," he said, but he was talking to a dead line. He leaned back in his chair. Yes, he had certainly stopped 'The Man in Black' - this was how he thought of Matt - from getting close to Grace. He had used his most coplike manner in refusing entry to him. When he delivered the flowers, he had been tempted to change the card or tear it up, but decided against it. From the sounds of things, though, it didn't matter. Grace didn't seem too interested in patching things up. He wondered how much this had to do with Blondie. Petey didn't like Blondie. Of course, Petey didn't like anyone that got close to Grace. Gary thought it was kinda funny and kinda pathetic at the same time. Petey sure wore his heart on his sleeve as far as Grace was concerned.
****************************The little nap Grace had in the car energized her and she headed for her office. She turned off the phone ringer. She didn't want any interruptions as she roughed out her new assignment. She needed to see the big picture and keep details and threads straight in her head. One ring of the phone could make it all go 'poof' like in a cartoon. When she reached a point where she could take a break, she leaned back and stretched. She looked at her watch. Good Lord, it was nearly eleven o'clock. When she looked around the table and saw how much she had accomplished, she was very pleased.
Grace turned the phone back on and checked her voice mail. Wow! Eight messages. One from her mother and one from her dad. She smiled to herself. Tag team. They always did it that way. Her mom would leave a message and then would want to call again, but didn't want to be a nag, so she would make Dad do it. She knew that her mother would be hovering over his shoulder telling him what to say the whole time.
A message from Matt - similar to the card. Sorry I missed you. A second message from Matt - call me when you get home. We need to talk. Two messages about business. Matt again - sounding pissed - you have to be home by now. Call me. Then again. Grace, I know you're there. Pick up.
Grace sighed and reached for the phone. She knew she had to call him. She didn't want him coming over to check on her. She hoped she would get his machine. But he picked up on the first ring.
"Grace?"
"Hello, Matt."
"What the hell have you been up to? Why weren't you answering your phone? Where were you today?" He paused and took a deep breath. "Because I was worried...you know, with your leg and all...you might have fallen."
"No, Matt. I didn't fall. I've been working. I shut the phone off. You know I don't like interruptions when I'm starting something new."
"Grace, I need to see you."
"No, Matt. I don't want to see you. Don't start this again."
"But we love each other."
"Maybe we do, maybe we don't. I don't know yet. But what I do know is that I was too dependent on you. And I think maybe you liked it that way. But I don't want that any more. I want to be in control of my own life."
"You can be in control of your life and have me in it," he said.
"Look, I need some time on this. Give me some time. Please, Matt..."
He reluctantly gave in. She hadn't said a definite no. So he would give her some time, but he would be watching carefully.
******************************Nick called Brian as soon as he dropped Grace off. Come on over, said Brian. Kev's here too. Nick wasn't sure he wanted Kevin to be there.
Kevin was his big brother. He was big brother to them all, actually, even Howie who was almost the same age. He felt the responsibility keenly, watching over them and trying to guide them through life's pitfalls. He was a perfectionist and demanded much of himself. He didn't expect the others to be perfect, but he did expect them to try.
Nick had made some unfortunate choices in his search for love and now Kevin questioned every relationship. Relationship, hah! He questioned every date, every conversation, every photo that appeared on the Internet. And Nick knew that Kevin didn't like the way he had met Grace. There was something about it that made Kevin suspicious. Nick had told Grace that "sometimes good things just leap out in front of us", but Kevin wasn't buying it.
"How was the ocean?" Brian settled Nick in a chair with a beer.
"Deep and blue," said Nick. Kevin looked at him expectantly. Nick knew there was no point in trying to keep anything back. Kevin would get it all out of him eventually and then wonder why Nick had been reluctant to tell all in the first place. "I had a good time. I think Grace did too. And the food...man, you have to try this place - Antonio's."
He described the meal and the weather and the waves. Then he fell silent waiting for one of them to speak. He was much relieved that it was Brian. "So, Grace had a good time?"
"Yes, it whacked her out though. You know what it's like when people aren't used to it. She fell asleep in the car on the way home." Nick smiled at the memory.
"Are you planning on seeing her again?" Kevin came right to the point.
"I don't know. I'd like to. I'd really, really like to. But..."
"The ex-fiancé!" Kevin zeroed in.
"Yeah, she says it's over, but...okay, this is going to sound weird, but it's like it was too easy for her, if you know what I mean. Shouldn't breaking off an engagement be a little more traumatic? Of course, I don't know what she does when she's not with me. She could be devastated..."
"Either way, you lose," said Kevin matter-of-factly. Brian moved to protest. Kevin held up a hand.
"Face it, Nick. You are Rebound Guy. Either she uses you to help her get over this Matt guy and then she moves on, or she uses you to find out that she really wants him after all."
Or uses me to get even. Nick remembered Matt's words from their first meeting.
"And there's no possibility in your mind that this could be fate handing them both their future?" asked Brian. He wasn't prepared to be as cynical about love as Kevin. He had found his future by chance. Why couldn't Nick?
Kevin shrugged. Anything was possible. "Do what you need to do, Nick. Just don't invest too much of your heart too soon. You've seen her every day. Why not give it a rest for a couple of days?"
Nick nodded. That sounded like good advice. And he had that thing at the club tomorrow night, so he wouldn't have been able to see her anyway.
"Yeah, okay. Thanks, guys." Kevin nodded in satisfaction. Brian was less sure that the advice was wise.
