Chapter 3
More than a week had come and gone, but it seemed like years to Marnie and Nathan. They had gotten into a steady routine of calling one another as soon as they got home in the evening. They would text regularly, and he even made a trip back to Kingston for the weekend.
Of course, the media was eating up their rendezvous like hot cakes. More and more coverage of the two was being featured in tabloids but also entertainment news coverage. A commerce magazine even used some public domain photos of the two shopping in a local marketplace, suggesting Nathan was “redefining millionaire bachelorhood.”
Cosmopolitan had also gotten some juicy pictures of the two playing and lounging in the beach, commenting, “Check out the curves on Nathan’s Caribbean cutie.”
They even captured pictures of Dominique and the dynamic duo on Marnie’s balcony having drinks and one entertainment website hinted at a possible hot and juicy Jamaican love fest.
It was this headline on an ad in Dominique’s social media newsfeed that made her finally have another talk with her friend. She went over to Marnie’s home one afternoon and pulled up the article. Marnie, of course, laughed it off, and Dominique had to agree the sheer silliness of it was enough to make even her shake her head and laugh. But then, Dominique went straight the point of her visit.
“My point in even showing you this is I feel like people look at you two as some sort of fling. I mean if that’s what’s going on, more power to you,” she insisted. “But, I know you have more feelings than that going on.”
Marnie was busy in the kitchen cooking up something for the two of them but listening to her friend’s concerns. She wiped her hands on a towel and then looked over to the couch where Dominique sat.
“Yes, I do feel like I have feelings for Nathan, but he’s…” She paused.
“He’s what?”
“I can still tell he’s really hesitant to get into anything serious.”
Dominique pulled up several photos of Nathan and Marnie in some compromising public displays of affection in her Google images search engine. She spun her phone around so Marnie could see.
“He doesn’t look to hesitant to me,” she said sarcastically, waving the phone from left to right.”
Marnie couldn’t help but laugh, but she understood all too well what Dominique was trying to say.
She walked around her kitchen island to the couch and plopped down on the opposite end, letting out a sigh.
“I just feel like maybe he’s not so much interested in a relationship than just having a good friend.”
Marnie’s voice was sheepish and small. Part of it was the shame of having to really admit she might be letting her feelings for Nathan get out of control, and that she knew he had not shown any real indication that he felt the same. She knew she had a horrible habit of having too much fun too fast, then finding herself head over heels. It was something she couldn’t avoid in relationships. Which begged the question were her and Nathan even in a relationship? Suddenly, she understood exactly what Dominique was getting at.
She reached over and took Dominique’s cell phone from her hand and looked at the many pictures of her and Nathan everyone had so much to say about. They looked like they were happy, just enjoying each other’s company. But there were some photos that would easily be mistaken for a couple’s honeymoon montage in a photo album. She let out another deep sigh, then looked at her friend who was now giving her a knowing look. Marnie began dialing the number to Nathan’s phone she now had memorized, but suddenly stopped just as it was ringing.
“I don’t want to do this now, Niecey,” she exclaimed. She ended the phone call before any voice could be heard on the other end and sat Dominique’s phone on the couch in a huff. “If I’m going to talk to him about it, I’d rather do it face-to-face”.
She made her way back to the kitchen and began stirring in a big stew pot of curried chicken. Her back was to Dominique now. She didn’t want to see her friend’s accusing face or be pushed into facing what may be true. She didn’t want to face she might just be in over her head.
The sound of her friend’s footsteps in the kitchen still didn’t make her turn around. It wasn’t until Dominique was standing by her at the stove that she looked over at her. The two women looked at each other for a moment, and Dominique could tell she had pushed Marnie a bit too far. She rubbed her back for comfort and to apologize.
“Look, I just don’t want you getting hurt,” she said assuredly to Marnie.
“I know,” she said as she looked back down into the pot of spices and broth. “I don’t want to get hurt either, but it is what is. I guess only fate knows for sure if I will this time.”
******
Nathan was ashamed to admit that for a change he was enjoying the media hype from his escapades on the island. It wasn’t because he was glowing in the midst of some supposed midlife crisis, or because he was showing the world he still “had it” after having his wife leave him. It was because he had a beautiful woman by his side in every photo who wasn’t just some kind of arm candy or some gold digger looking to get a name for herself.
He laid in his bed back at his villa, scrolling through photo after photo of the two of them, some that were private ones he had taken, ones she had messaged him, and others he had downloaded from this website or that one. He truly enjoyed Marnie’s company and the more they got to talk or see each other, the more he couldn’t imagine how he ever passed up the opportunity to enjoy the company of anyone for so long.
He had to admit to himself that even when he met Hilary, it was about prestige. They had connections in some of the same circles and even several of the same business connections via her father. Since meeting Marnie, he had to ask had he and his wife every truly had a connection to begin with? Marnie made him reassess even his relationships with colleagues he now considered friends. Had they have met under different circumstances that didn’t revolve around golf courses and stock market jargon, would they still be associated with each other at all?
Just as he was fixed on this one photo of him and Marnie on the beach admiring her black sarong playfully wrapped around their shoulders as they sat side by side, his phone rang. It was a number he didn’t recognize. Normally, he wouldn’t answer it, but he hadn’t heard from Marnie by that evening and was wondering if it was her just calling from a different phone.
“Hello?”
“Is this Nathan?” It was Dominique. Nathan was surprised to hear from her. They had gotten to know more about each other in the past week (only because Marnie insisted), but they didn’t ever exchange numbers.
“Dominique,” he said. “How’d you get my number? Is Marnie alright?” His thoughts immediately went to concern over whether or not his friend was ok. Was that the reason Dominique was calling? Was Marnie not able to call because something had happened?
She quickly put his mind at ease. “Marnie is fine. As far as how I got your number, she was about to call you on my phone and decided not to, but the number was still on my call list.”
“Alright, so what’s going on that she didn’t call?”
Nathan braced himself for the worst. He had only been here a few times, especially since his divorce. There was always some reason a friend of a friend or someone he was seeing was calling on that person’s behalf and it was always personal.
“Look, she and I were having a talk,” Dominique said timidly. “I just…” Her voice trailed off. “I’m just concerned as a close friend. Marnie and I are like sisters. I know Marnie. She gets all wrapped in her fun, then in her feelings.”
Nathan had a feeling he knew where this was going but decided to tread lightly.
“Are you saying she feels like I’m getting too involved, that we’re spending too much time together?” He grimaced. He was concerned now. This wouldn’t be the first time that he was brushed off via a best friend for being too “pushy.”
“No, nothing like that,” Dominique explained. “Sadly, it’s the other way around.”
Those words made Nathan take a long pause. He wanted to choose his words carefully. He knew Marnie was flirting heavy and often times she teased him about the two of them getting a little bit more up close and personal, but he always considered it playful teasing and nothing more. He had no clue she actually may be interested in him.
“Dominique, are you saying Marnie has feelings for me?” Even hearing the words come out his own mouth sounded foreign and absurd.
“Well, yes!” Dominique sounded a little more than frustrated. “How have you not noticed?”
“I—I’m not going to say I didn’t notice but…” He was fishing for an excuse, any excuse to explain why he never pursued any of Marnie’s advances. He cleared his throat.
“She’s been crazy about you since the two of you met. All I have had to hear about for almost two weeks is ‘Nathan this’ and ‘Nathan that,’” Dominique demonstrated in her best Marnie impression.
Nathan had to laugh at it all. He had always looked at Marnie as just a newfound friend, but a special one. He felt maybe her flirting was just how she was with every guy. Now, he felt like a cad. He wasn’t sure what to say to Dominique next, but he found the best words he could to explain.
“Dominique,” he said. “You and I both know Marnie can be a bit…seductive. I mean, call me skeptical, but I figured she’s like that with every guy that comes along.”
At this, Nathan felt bad to talk about her as if she were some wild loose woman, but he remembered them talking about her relationship troubles. He never really delved too deeply why she was quick to jump in and out of love, but in his mind, he wondered if he went down that road would he just end up another lover she had to let go or that finally cut loose from her. He went on talking.
“What I do know for certain is I’ve more than enjoyed her being there to help me pick myself up after things with me and Hilary. I’m just not sure if going a step further would result in one or both us getting hurt. Especially me.”
He explained that much to Dominique, who understood his stance on it all and couldn’t blame him for having hesitation with Marnie. Yet, she insisted on him at least giving Marnie a call and the two of them talking it out and deciding what they were or weren’t going to do concerning their friendship.
The following day, Nathan found himself making two trips: one to Kingston, but firstly a trip to his local post office. He had been holding off mailing his signed copy of his divorce decree back to Hilary’s lawyer. Part of him maybe hoped they could resolve things, while on the other hand he perhaps was afraid to finally go in a new direction altogether. His talk with Dominique definitely put things in perspective, however. He realized he did enjoy everything about his time with Marnie. She deserved for him to break the shackles of his past and to see what could or could not be there between them.
Once he was on the road to Kingston, he felt like a bundle of nerves. He hadn’t told Marnie he was coming to see her but had simply asked Dominique to keep tabs on her. Dominique promised him she’d make sure Marnie didn’t run off too far from home, even if she had to sit on her. The ride seemed to be over far sooner than he hoped. He wasn’t sure what speed limit he was going or if it was just he had let his mind drift off on all the possibilities of what could take place once they got to speak. He was hoping that they could take things slow, find out what it was they were both hoping for.
Before he knew it, he found himself in Marnie’s neighborhood. He saw both the women’s cars parked in Marnie’s driveway. The more he realized he was about to walk through that door and finally take a chance on letting someone know for the first time in a long time that they were worth his time had his stomach in knots. Here he was an oil mogul, handsome bachelor, a guy who should be on top of the world feeling big as an ant and scared as hell. He got out the car and knocked on the door.
Dominique opened the door and proceeded to act totally surprised to see him at her friend’s home.
“Nathan, what on Earth are you doing here?” she asked with a big grin on her face.
He smiled shyly, clutching the roses he had bought for the visit to his chest. “Is Marnie here?’
“Oh yeah,” Dominique beamed. “Come on in!”
“Thanks,” he said, stepping into the doorway.
As the door shut behind him, he saw Marnie slowly stand up from the couch. She looked amazing as usual. Her braids were down and undone, making her hair appear to be in large dark ringlets. She was standing there in a bright green, fuzzy robe looking more than a little surprised to see Nathan there.
“Marnie Hall, since I’ve gotten to know you, I haven’t truly gotten to know you,” Nathan said, holding a dozen red roses to his black blazer. He was proud he found a balance with his attire and could be more casual, but with class. It suited him for this moment. “I would be honored if you would join me on a romantic outing just for two this weekend. What do you say?”
Marnie couldn’t help but smile as she made her way over to the door. The kiss she gave him was a definite ‘yes.’