One Heart

Nathalie’s POV

A week later and Brian still hadn’t called. I don’t really know why I was counting the days, it wasn’t like I cared- that or I just wanted to fool myself that I didn’t. Not that it mattered what I felt, it wasn’t like anything could happen between us. It’s not like I could just avoid the truth of who I really was, since either I, Jimmy or Val would slip up one day, and when that day came, so would the revelation that he has had a daughter he didn’t know about for the past four years. I just had to hope that day came later, rather than sooner.

“So I heard Brian managed to get a number from a girl named Nathalie at the beach last week,” Jimmy mused, floating in a rubber ring in the pool outside with Rae in a smaller one beside him while Val and I stretched out on the sunloungers. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you Nat?”

I instantly recoiled as Val turned to me, shocked at this sudden piece of information. “Oh Nat, you didn’t!”

“It’s not like he’s called or anything,” I mumbled, glad I could hide behind my sunglasses so I could easily avoid both of their gazes. “I was just humouring him, that’s all.”

“Humouring him?” Val sighed, falling back onto her seat. “You really are playing with fire here Nat. What are you going to do if he actually asks you out?”

“Actually, I heard Clo and Zack telling him to invite you along to Deviate this weekend for the costume night,” Jimmy cut in, finding my uncomfortable position in this conversation amusing to no end. “From what I could tell, he agreed and said he would give you a ring on Friday.”

“Friday?” I echoed. “That’s today! Why didn’t you tell me before? You’ve basically been here everyday this week!”

“Oh is it?” Jimmy grinned. “Must have slipped my mind…”

“You’re such a bitch sometimes Jimmy,” I said scathingly, glaring at him despite the fact my sunglasses hid the notion. “Didn’t feel like helping with the whole ‘keep my existence here a secret until I can manage telling him’ now did you?”

He shrugged. “I did warn you and say that if you didn’t end up telling him then I would.”

“Well that makes everything better, now doesn’t it?” As if on cue my cell rang, earning me a large grin from Jimmy which meant only one thing as I wearily answered and brought it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hey Nat? It’s Brian.”

“Oh hello,” I replied, mouthing a few curses to Jimmy as he started pulling various faces at me. He didn’t stop so I simply walked over to the pool and took away his beer from the side and placed it out of the way on the table, knowing that it would annoy him that he would have to get out of the comfort of the ring in order to get it back. “I was wondering if you were going to keep your word.”

“Hey, a promise is a promise right? Sorry it took so long, I was fighting off all the girls to get to my cell…”

I laughed. “Lying to a girl after she thought you had stood her up isn’t the best start to an apology, I must say.”

“Sorry.” He paused. “So how about I make it up to you then?”

“And how would you do that?”

“How about you come with me to Deviate tomorrow? They’ve got a costume night on; should be fun. So what do you think?”

He sounded so hopeful but the look Val shot me made me know in my heart that I should say no. That was until I glanced over at Jimmy who told me the opposite. In the end, irrational behaviour won once again. “Sure, sounds fun.” To my side I saw Val sigh. I ignored it. “Is there a theme or something?”

“Oh yeah, there’s a theme.”

“Yeah?” I grabbed a towel from the back of a chair as I caught sight of a dripping wet Jimmy creeping up behind me, swatting at him with it until he grabbed his beer from the side, grinned, and returned back to the safety of his floating island. “What is it?”

“Looking fucking sexy.”

I could imagine his grin as he said that along with the mocking he must now be receiving off anyone who was in earshot of him saying that. “Oh I don’t think the costume shop has any of those types available…”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something. So shall I pick you up from yours?”

Oh god. Hell no.

“How about I meet you at yours?” I amended quickly. “That way we can both drink while we’re down there.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me. I’ll text you my address.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait.”

I stared at the blank screen for a while after the call ended, looking up only when Val spoke to me. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?”

“I know.”

She sighed. “Well at least Jimmy and I are going to be there to keep you out of trouble.”

“Trouble?” I placed my hand on my hip. “What the hell do you think I am going to do, sleep with the guy?”

“Well I fucking hope not, you’ve put yourself in enough shit already agreeing to see him again without sleeping with him!”

“Thanks for the support,” I huffed, grabbing a hoodie off the back of my chair and zipping it up over my bikini top.

“And where are you going?”

“Costume shop.” I picked up my keys on my way to the back door. “Look after Rae for me; I’ll be back soon.”

It was only a mumble, but as I left I could have sworn I heard Val say something. “Idiot.”