“I really wish Ali was happy. Nick too,” I tell Brian with a sigh.
“I do too,” he agrees, climbing into bed with me. “They’ll get through it. The party was ok though.”
“Yup, sure was. Did you see Howie and Callie sat together most of the night?” I grin.
“They seemed to hit it off!” Brian laughs.
“Yeah. Callie told me that Howie invited her round tomorrow night. He’s gonna cook.”
“God help her then,” Brian laughs.
“Aw, leave him alone. I think it’s sweet.”
“It is,” he agrees. “What’d you think of Nick’s mom by the way?”
“She seemed ok. I didn’t really talk to her though. I LOVED Aaron though!”
“You did?”
“Uh huh,” I giggle. “He’s funny.”
“Should I be worried?” Brian jokes.
“Maybe in ten years,” I grin and snuggle up into his body. “But maybe not.”
“I should hope not. He could never do the things I can do to you,” he winks and I laugh.
“NOBODY can do the things you do to me.”
Nick stares up at the dark ceiling and sighs heavily, rolling over in his bed. He just can’t fall asleep these days, nor can he get comfortable. His bed just seems way too big and cold without Ali.
The party today had gone pretty well. His family seemed to enjoy it and he thinks he did good hiding his feelings. He had managed to run around cracking dumb jokes and throwing people into the pool. Managed to hide the fact that at every point during the day he knew exactly where Ali was and who she was with. She had been friendly whenever he had talked to her, but distant all the same. Like she wasn’t REALLY there. It feels just like she’s leaving him, slowly bowing out of his life… And he can’t take it.
Before he had met Ali, he had never known what a real relationship could be like. There had been Mandy, his first love. Things had been so perfect with her, but only for a while. Then she had started to get jealous of his job and all the time he spent away from her; had started to push for her own singing career; and whenever she hadn’t gotten what she wanted from him she had hurt him any way she could. He had gotten out of that relationship a different guy – less self-assured, paranoid about his looks and thinking everybody only wanted him for what he could give them.
Sure he had dated before Ali. But they had always been casual things – only about physical desires and nothing else. Fun while they lasted but leaving him empty when they were over. And then he had met Ali. This beautiful strong woman who cared nothing about who he was; a girl who never asked him for anything but himself… She had a history but he had learnt to deal with it, learnt a few things about love and forgiveness. Ali is the one person he can completely be himself with and know that she wouldn’t stop loving him. Well, COULD and used to. It seems like it has all changed now and he wishes he knew how to make things right. He sighs and dials a number on his phone, listening to it ring.
“Hello?” Ali answers and he covers the mouthpiece with his hand, not knowing what to say. “Hello?” she repeats, sounding a little pissed off. “Ok, it’s 2am and you just woke me buster! If you try this again I will trace the number and personally come around to kick ya butt. Capisce?!” she slams the phone down.
“I love you,” Nick whispers before putting his own phone down.
Callie checks the apartment numbers as she walks down to the elevator. She’s a little early to meet Howie for dinner and is trying to kill time by walking as slow as she can. She sighs and steps into the elevator, keying in the code Howie had given her over the phone. The doors close and she watches the lights change as she goes up. She runs her fingers through her dark hair and sighs again. She feels so nervous, like she’s gonna be sick. It’s dumb, she tells herself. All she’s doing is sussing out his apartment and getting to know him. It’s not like marriage or Chinese water torture. The elevator doors open and she walks out. Howie’s apartment is right opposite and she knocks. Howie opens it pretty quick and Callie wonders whether the code she had keyed in had somehow alerted him. Like maybe a red light had started flashing and he had run around shoving things under beds and in closets. She giggles slightly and smiles at Howie who ushers her inside. He looks good Callie thinks – slightly taller than her with dark wavy hair. His skin is golden and he has the deepest brown eyes she has ever seen. His smile is slightly crooked but that just adds a charm to his face. Some people you just like on sight and Callie definitely likes him.
Howie watches the girl sitting opposite him as discreetly as he can. It had been a little awkward when she first arrived – neither of them knowing what to say. He had gotten caught up in how beautiful she looks and how her eyes seem to be almost violet. Callie had eventually broken the silence with a request for a tour and he had obliged, proudly showing her around his apartment. She had made all the appropriate noises, especially loving the TV in the bathroom. Then they had sat on his balcony to eat. Nothing major – just a little Mexican food, but he had still had to call his mom for help. The conversation had just flowed and he really likes her. A lot. It is great being with a girl like her. A girl who enjoys good food, who has a great sense of humour, who loves the same sort of music as him, who so obviously enjoys life. A girl who he just can’t take his eyes away from. Everything else in the room just disappeared next to her. When she had left to go to the bathroom, he had even found himself missing her. She just makes him want to kiss her so badly. And whenever she says his name in her soft accent, he just melts away.
“Howie?” her voice breaks into his daydream and sends shivers along his spine.
“Yeah?” he smiles at her.
“Where’d you go?”
“Sorry,” he blushes slightly. “I’m back.”
“That’s good. I missed you,” she teases lightly and he smiles before standing up and offering her his hand.
“Shall we go back inside?”
“Sure,” she stands up and lets him lead her back inside.
“C’mon, spill!” I order Callie.
“Jeez, let me get settled,” she complains and takes her time tucking her legs underneath her body on the couch. She spent last night at Howie’s place eating his home-cooked dinner and now she’s over my place and I want to know everything that happened. “Ok,” she says when she’s comfortable. “What do ya wanna know?”
“Everything!”
“Everything?! Hey, I gotta keep some things back,” she giggles. “It was real good Jade. We talked so much. I’ve never felt so at ease with a guy in my life.”
“Aw. So you guys really hit it off?”
“Yeah. I mean, he cooked for me! How sweet is that? And it tasted GOOD too,” she adds with a laugh. “He said it was his mom’s recipe and it was SO spicy. But I love spicy foods and it was just perfect for me. And after we ate, we sat out on his veradah and just watched the ocean and shared our lives.”
“Sounds romantic,” I remark. “Did he kiss you?”
“Yeah,” she giggles and blushes slightly. “It took him so long though. I thought I would have to jump on him! But he kissed me and it was so right… Man Jade, I could really fall for that guy. If I let myself.”
“Let yourself honey,” I smile. “You deserve to be happy. Howie too.”
“Maybe,” she smiles. “I’m just takin’ it real slow.”
“Not over Saul yet?”
“No,” she shakes her head. “He’s always gonna be there. I just need to find a way of keeping him here and not jeopardising any chance of happiness with somebody else.”
“You’ll find it,” I tell her softly.
“Hope so. I just want what you have with Brian,” she smiles. “I want a guy who looks at me the way he looks at you.”
“With horror?” I joke lightly and she laughs.
“That too.”
“I’m sure you’ll find that!” I giggle as Brian walks into the room. “Hey you.”
“Hey you back,” he smiles and drops a kiss on my head. “Hello Callie. How are things?”
“Good, real good,” she smiles and stands up. “Don’t take this personally but I gotta head off. I’m due to interview Michelle Branch in twenty.”
“Ok,” I stand up as well and see her out. When I return to the lounge Brian is sat on the couch going through some papers. I sit by him. “What are those?”
“Recording schedules.”
“Cool,” I snuggle up to him and he wraps his arm around me. “Callie had a good date with Howie.”
“Yeah? That’s good.”
“But she kinda has a history. Should I tell Howie?”
“Depends on the history.”
“Well, she was engaged once,” I tell him and he puts the papers down. “A guy called Saul. They were like the perfect couple. Then, about a month before they were due to get married, he died. It was pretty sudden. He had a defective heart valve and nobody knew about it until he collapsed. He was dead before they could even dial 911 – only 24 years old.”
“Whoa,” he murmurs. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah. Callie just fell apart. She even tried suicide but her mom found her and rushed her to hospital.”
“How long ago was it?”
“It was before I knew her. About four years. So should I tell Howie?”
“No. She’ll tell him when he needs to know.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I agree. “I can’t even begin to imagine what she went through.”
“Me either.”
“I mean, when I thought you might have problems with your heart again… That was a nightmare,” I sigh and he holds me closer to him. “If I ever lost you…”
“You won’t. I’m fit and healthy now baby.”
“You would tell me if you ever felt…”
“Promise.”