Deja Vu-Chapter 5
By: Panda Angel
I turned around to see Nick standing there clad in a pair of khakis and a blue, green, and white plaid Tommy shirt.
“You look nice,” I complimented him.
He smiled broadly and replied, ”Why thank you. You look very lovely as well.” Then he handed me a single red rose.
“Thanks!” I smiled, surprised at his romantic gesture.
“You’re welcome. You ready to go sit down?” he asked, starting to lead the way.
We arrived at this semi-secluded table. We were at the very top level of the restaurant where it was ocean view.
“Wow! This is really nice,” I said, impressed.
“Ever been here before?” he questioned, after we both ordered our drinks.
“Um…yeah, once before. I came with my husband, but we didn’t have seats like this!” I told Nick, looking out the window watching the waves crash violently on the shore.
“Right…well, this is my favorite table in the restaurant! I love the ocean, it’s got a great view,” he commented.
“Could I take your orders please?” the tall, skinny waiter walked up with his pad in hand.
“Yeah, I’ll have the popcorn shrimp, with a baked potato,” I stated my order.
“I’ll have the same, but with french fries, please,” Nick told the waiter.
The waiter jotted down our orders and quickly walked off.
“So, tell me about yourself,” Nick started our conversation.
“What would you like to know?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Just things in general, like…full name!” he laughed a cute little laugh.
“It’s Peyton Nicole Bryant,” I stated, taking a sip of my ice tea.
“That’s very pretty,” he complimented.
“Why thank you. So, what’s your full name?” I asked him.
“Nickolas Gene Carter,” he told me, as if he had stated his name a million times.
A rush of déjà vu fell over me. “That name sounds really familiar…” I looked at him strangely. “Sure we haven’t met before?”
“Well, no I’m not entirely sure. We could’ve met and I just don’t remember. That’s probably not how you know my name, though,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked, a bit confused.
“Nevermind. Let’s change the subject…so, you’re married?” he asked, looking down at the diamond ring on my finger.
“Yeah, sorta,” I said, avoiding looking into his enchanting eyes.
“Sorta? Well, you’re married or you’re not. Which is it?” he asked, taking a sip of his Sprite.
“I am, but I won’t be much longer,” I said, looking back out the window.
“Why not?” Nick asked. “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.”
I looked up into his crystal eyes and searched his face for a sign of some sort. I felt like I could tell him anything, even though we had just met.
“My husband and I are getting a divorce,” I stated calmly.
“What happened?” he questioned, very interested in our conversation.
“Let’s just say my husband, Craig, was spending a lot of time at the office…he and his secretary were really good ‘friends’,” I informed Nick, feeling the anger and hurt rise inside me all over again.
I think Nick must have sensed that because he reached across the table and placed his hand on top of mine. “It’s okay Peyton. You don’t have to say anything else. I’m sorry that I asked.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” I replied, starting to wipe the tears from my eyes before they fell.
“If you ever want to talk, I’m here for you, alright?” he comforted me.
“Thanks,” I said genuinely. “It’s nice to know that there’s someone that I can talk to.”
The waiter came then to bring us our food, causing Nick to remove his hand from mine. I had forgotten that his hand was covering mine and I immediately missed his touch.
After dinner, Nick walked me outside to my car, so that I could go home.
“Thank you for dinner. I had a really nice time,” I said sincerely.
“No problem. I’m glad that you came. Maybe we can do it again sometime soon,” he suggested.
“I’d love to! You have my phone number, so just give me a call,” I said.
“I just might do that,” he smiled and leaned down to give me a soft kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight Peyton.”
“Goodnight Nick,” I smiled and climbed into my car, and watched him walk away in my side view mirror.
I drove home and couldn’t stop thinking about the events of the night the entire drive home. My usual 20-minute drive home only seemed like 5 minutes that night. I unlocked the door to my two-story home and walked inside.
“Hey! How did it go?” Shay’s familiar voice greeted me.
“It went great! Nick is so sweet and very handsome,” I sat down, glowing.
“So…details!!” she practially screamed.
“Ssshh…isn’t Tris asleep?” I calmed her down.
“Oh yeah, he is. Sorry. So, tell me!” she persisted.
I told her how the night went, what we talked about, and how he kissed me goodnight and that we might go out again sometime.
“That’s wonderful, Pey! I’m so happy for ya!” she leaned over giving me a hug.
“Thanks. There was something about him that was a mix between mystery and sincerity. I mean, when I looked into his eyes, I felt this connection like I could just tell him anything and it would all be okay. Then, at other times, like when we were talking about his full name, he gave me some really weird responses. I don’t know…maybe I’m just over analyzing things,” I sighed.
“Probably. You know how you are!” she joked.
“Yeah, yeah! Well, I’m tired, so I’m going to head to bed. I’ll call you tomorrow, ok? Thanks for staying with Tristan! Goodnight!” I said, getting up from the couch.
“You’re welcome…he’s an angel. Night, girl!” she said, closing the door behind her.
I walked upstairs and quietly snuck into the nursery to steal a peek at my precious little boy. He was turned on his side, his back to me, and I could hear him softly breathing. I ran my fingers through what little bit of blonde hair he had and sat down in the rocking chair beside his crib. I picked up his favorite gray teddy bear from the floor and held it in my arms. I sat there rocking myself and thinking until I fell asleep.
Email: panda_angelaj@hotmail.com
