A Different Class - 8

Chapter 8

Rebecca was only a few hundred yards away when she heard his voice calling her. Hear his feet pounding as he jogged after her. She tried to run, but he caught up with her easily grabbing her arm, turning her to face him.

“I’m sorry! I should never have doubted you or Patrick!” He tried to decipher her glare. But her face was a mask.

“No you shouldn’t have! At the first opportunity you doubted me, that hurts Nate.” She hung her head, not wanting to look into her eyes, but he lifted her chin. "And I don't need you invading my life then hurting me. So please just leave me alone!"

She made to turn away, but he restrained her, I'm not letting you go away, I want to explain." Eyeballing her, apology evident in his expression, he was insistent, “I couldn't find you , then Cat came to me smiling, telling me Patrick was kissing a stranger in the garden." He shook his head, "then I saw you with him, I swear I only doubted you for a few seconds. But then you'd gone."

It wasn't enough as reasons, or excuses went. But Nate was determined, when Rebecca merely shrugged a 'don't care response' he added, "She spoke to you. Patrick said she was rude. Tell me what happened? Tell me what Cat said.”

Shrugging she stared into his eyes, “it’s what you haven’t said that’s more relevant. You let me come to this party knowing that it would be difficult for me anyway, I was already on the back foot, but you knew I’d be under dressed, it's not as if I need to give people chance or reason to laugh at me...It was so humiliating. Then there was your ex-girlfriend who clearly isn’t ‘over’ you, you KNEW she was going to be there……the things she said…” She shrugged.

He leaned forward, trying to make her listen, he could tell she was ready to bolt, “she is NOT an ex-girlfriend, but she has hounded me for years. I did make a mistake though, I happened to get drunk 6 months ago it was at a mutual friend's party, I woke up in bed with her. She had hounded me all night, I'm not sure what happened really...she claims I slept with her." He glanced at the floor, "I am not proud of that, I really am not. It was ridiculous to get so drunk that anything could have happened and I suppose you think I used her, but she did throw herself at me and I was very inebriated." He sounded desperate, confused and she felt her heart start to melt briefly. "There was rumour that she spiked my drink, but I'm not hiding behind that. It isn’t an excuse." He looked at her again, "Patrick told me she belittled you, you don't deserve that, though he also said that you held your own. He thinks you’re and I quote him ‘cool’!”

“Well he’s got good taste!” she spat. She was having trouble digesting the thought of him with Cat, such a nasty person, but if he had slept with her, then she had every reason to be jealous, angry, bitter. She struggled to look at Nate in the same way. 

He pulled her into his arms, and despite her resistance, he managed to hold her tightly, “I should have trusted you on instinct, but surely you owe me the same respect? To show me the same loyalty in my explanation over hers? I haven’t slept with another woman since her, I was mortified. She has presented herself as my girlfriend at so many occasions. That’s why I’ve wanted to take things slow with you. Get it right, not stuff it up with untimely or drunken fumbles. I've learned that lesson. This...” he gestured around the, with his head, "you and I are a different story."

Making eye contact again, she asked, “she said you threatened to go out with someone like me, to get back at her. That I'm the instrument of some sort of revenge.”

“What does that mean? Someone beautiful and intelligent? Independent and fiery? Intriguing? All the things she isn’t?”

She tried not to smile at the compliment, “the word she used was 'commoner'!" 

Nate burst out laughing, "really? That old story! God Rebecca, we have moved on a little in the last two centuries!"

"She also told me that you haven’t taken me to your house so that I couldn’t stalk you, wouldn’t know where to find you…..”

He smiled down at her, “exactly what I told her, for she is the only one who did any stalking!”

Rebecca looked up at him from tear filled eyes, “I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, but you’ve avoided taking me to yours on at least two obvious occasions, it's like you've built a wall...yet I've been nothing but open with you inviting you into my life SO willingly...you've even slept in my home. You clearly don't want me to invade your personal space in the same way."

“NO!” he interrupted. “That’s not it! I admit my home is my inner sanctum, I rarely take anyone there, but I thought you’d feel more at home in your own environment. My home is...well it's..." He laughed, "I sound so conceited, but it is an expensive place in an expensive location, I didn't want you to feel intimidated. Oh that sounds terrible! And in trying to avoid letting you feel out of place, wrong-footed, I must now apologise for making you feel the way I’ve been at such great liberties to avoid! I’m such a clot, I’ve made everything so much worse.” He dropped his head for a moment, “will you give me another chance?”

She smiled, “look at us, tiptoeing around each other. I argued with my mates today cos they thought we’re not suited, that you’re going to use me. I didn’t believe that then, and I don’t believe it now! Maybe we need to be more open, more honest, otherwise this is going to fail. Especially when you're father gets involved.”

Nate sighed pulling her into his arms, “well then I’ll start, by saying keeping my hands off you this long has been the single hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’ve never felt this drawn to anyone in my life before.” He kissed her slowly, her mouth melting to his, their tongues searching each other’s mouths. When they finally pulled apart he stared at her for ages, “let’s go back to mine.”

A few days ago this would have been everything she wanted, now she was nervous.“It’s Sunday, we’re both working tomorrow….”

“I’ll drive you home early, before work."

She shook her head, "I'm going home Nate, can we meet tomorrow night?"

He nodded, "come to mine, I want you to!"

"No. I'll meet you at Vincenti's, eight pm, dinner is on me!" Nate tried to protest but she held up her hand, "please Nate, it's been such a long day, and I'm an emotional wreck. I can't deal with any more drama!"

"Ok," he nodded, "I understand. I'm sorry, for everything."

The honesty in his face confirmed he was telling the truth if there was ever any doubt, "I know, and it really wasn't all your fault!"

After a brief hug, he reluctantly hailed her a cab, Rebecca rejected his chivalrous offer to see her home. She needed some 'me' time. Alone.

Despite the turmoil in her head, Rebecca slept fitfully, almost too well. She even slept through her alarm. She was late for work, but whilst still emotionally frazzled, she felt physically so much better. Nate had called her as she'd walked from the tube to work, it was a little stilted, but ended pleasantly enough, she still, however, hadn’t spoken to Lyle, Tara or Johnny, and really wasn’t in the mood for them. She screened her calls til lunchtime, when Sophie stuck her head around Bec's office door, asking if she wanted to come to a nearby café for lunch. Sounding like heaven, Rebecca jumped up immediately. 

“Is everything ok? You’re quiet today!” Sophie was studying her over the huge chicken and mango chutney baguette she'd ordered.

“Just got a few things on my mind.” Rebecca on the other hand was picking at her prawn salad. Her appetite wasn't great, she wasn't coping very well with her stresses.

“That fit bloke we saw last week being one of them?”

Bec's eyes snapped up to glare at the very astute Sophie, giving a brief nod, she answered, “surprisingly things are going ok with him…..but my friends think he’s using me! So I kind of walked out on all of them!”

“How strange! You’re normally really close to your friends. Why would they think that?”

She decided to confide in her colleague, “Well the man I’m seeing is Nate, or rather Nathaniel Groves.”

Sophie's face was a picture, eyes wide, mouth open, jaw slack, and she took a few seconds to respond. “Sir Ed’s son! On my god! I can’t believe that’s him he’s so cute…I wouldn’t think you’d go within a hundred miles of him! He's not who I'd imagine you with!”

“I know, it's strange. But he’s not like his dad, he’s a nice guy, or he seems to be so far! But my friends think he has ulterior motives - that he’s going to make a fool of me. That he's using me...it's all about them thinking I'm beneath him Sophie, and I find that really hard to stomach.”

"Is that it? That you worry that yourself too? We all hate to have things pointed out to us! But to be honest you are a very shrewd person Bec, you keep yourself to yourself, and hold your cards close to your chest. You wouldn’t be that careful and then suddenly let just anyone into your life...I imagine you’re a good judge of character. You're worthy of him, and if your friends are the people you describe, then they'll see that. Don't be too hard on them, it seems they are acting out of love!”

She looked at her very intuitive colleague with affection, “thanks Sophie, that means a lot.".

“Looking at how his father treated you, you can’t blame them for being concerned, put yourself in their shoes. What would you do?” 

Rebecca pondered for a moment, then shrugged, “I think I’d be there for them, and be ready to pounce if a line is crossed.”

“Maybe, but just maybe you’d prejudge too, you never know.”

Back in the office she sent an email to her three friends,

“Hi guys, 
Sorry that I haven’t been in touch since yesterday. I was more than a little shocked by your attempts to protect me. I know that that’s all it was, but I really was quite offended. I am not someone who throws themselves into relationships easily, you three of everyone in the World know that. 
I like Nat, and he likes me. This may fizzle out in a few weeks it may last forever. But he has as much chance of hurting me as anyone else has.

I don’t want us to fall out over this, but I need a little space. I hope you all understand. You have all been more than friends to me, and I’m not making a choice between him and you, I could never do that. But I want to try this out, see how it goes.

Maybe we can catch up on the weekend?

Bxxx”

She wasn't ready to read the responses if any came from them, so she turned her phone off and closed her email account.

She didn't go home after work, instead she made a short notice appointment at the hair salon. She needed cheering up, and apparently blonde highlights and a sleek long bob cut were the way forward. The blonde teasers lightened her copper hair dramatically, and she was more than impressed with the results. 

When she got to Vincenti's it was ten minutes after eight and she felt a million dollars. The maitre'd led her across the small restaurant, and Nate who was already there looked up from his open laptop. With a smile, he closed the lid, then slipped it into his bag, before standing to greet her.

"You look a-maz-ing!" He breathed, kissing her cheek, "that hair REALLY suits you!"

She blushed, sliding into the seat opposite him, "you think? I needed jazzing up! And who knew that new hair would improve my mood?"

He smiled, "have you sorted it out with your friends?"

Lifting the menu and opening she shook her head, "no, well I emailed them, told them to cut me some slack. I wasn't in the mood to speak to any of them!"

"And are you in the mood for me?" 

Rebecca looked up and found him studying her, waiting for a response. Yet again she found this level of insecurity quite endearing, he was actually worried, unsure. "I'm sure I can tolerate you!" 

Laughing out loud, he opened his own menu.

As the meal progressed, their conversations became more relaxed. Rebecca had forgiven him his behaviour, he seemed so keen to please her, so remorseful that she couldn't stay angry with him. 

"Dessert?" she asked after he'd cleared his plate.

He shrugged, "are you having one?" He studied her a moment too long.

Smiling, she paused equally as long, then finally answered, "depends." He raised a questioning eyebrow wondering what her comment meant, so she added, "on what dessert is on offer?"

Suddenly there was tension between them, palpable tension. Bec's throat was suddenly dry, she licked her bottom lip, trying desperately to ease it, but then she realised Nate's eyes were watching her mouth and his eyes were lighting up.

When he spoke his voice was hoarse, "does this mean you want to visit my abode?"

Visiting his abode was definitely code for something more, and Rebecca was finally more than ready to throw all her eggs into his basket. 

"You mean you want to show me your 'inner sanctum'?" She smiled sweetly trying to inject a little humour, but it had gone beyond that.

Leaning close he whispered, "I just want you, now! Not later, not tomorrow - now! Hell I've wanted you for weeks.”

It hit her like a bolt from the blue, desire, all encompassing and it took over all rational thought. It was the most assertive that she’d ever seen him, and it only made her swoon with desire.

“How far away are you?”

He shrugged, “twenty minute walk, 10 minute jog.” Then raising an eyebrow, he offered, “seconds in a cab!”