Chapter One
New York City August 23, 2003 - 2:19am
Derek rolled over on the couch when he heard his cell ringing. He forgot that he was sleeping on the couch and almost fell off as he reached for his phone but caught himself on with his hands pressing against the coffee table to hold him up. He looked at his phone and failed to recognize the foreign number. He let it ring, knowing that it was most likely a wrong number and rolled over once more. Remembering once again why he was sleeping on the most uncomfortable couch in the world. His failing marriage. He got into another fight with Addison again and he thought he would be the high road and sleep on the couch. Even though she was the one that came home after twelve and he knew she wasn't at the hospital, but he just pushed down all his anger and slept on the couch. The phone rings again. He rolls over and looks at his phone once more. It was the same number. He flips open the phone and pressed talk.
"You have a collect call from: your favourite sister. Do you accept the charges?" The operator waited for his reply.
"Yes." Derek sighed as he sat up on the couch.
"Derek, thank god you're up. I hope it's not to late." His sister's voice on the other end of the line seemed so far away.
"It's two in the morning. Natalie, where the are you now?" He asked annoyed.
"Opps sorry, I'm in Auckland…" She paused for a brief moment. Derek could just see Natalie guilty twisted face that always used whenever she needed something or knew he wouldn't like the answer. "..,New Zealand."
"New Zealand? I thought you were supposed to be in Thailand for another few months." He groaned as his hands rubbed his tried eyes.
"Yeah, that was the plan, but then I met this guy and…oh my god, Derek. He is amazing. He asked me to go back to his home and well I did." Derek could hear the excitement in her voice. It is the same excitement that she has when she spontaneously makes a decision, follows through with it and always ends up disappointed or hurt, but there was nothing he could do sitting at home in New York while she is half way around the world. He has tried talking sense into her but it always ended up with her hang up on him and she did whatever she wanted anyway.
"Where did you meet him?" He reluctantly asked. "Some bar."
"No. I did not meet this one at a bar." She spoke with exasperation. "He was one of my costumers at the resort. I was the one who strapped him in his harness for the Zip Line and I accidently touched his…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa now!" Derek stopped her before she could finish her sentences. "I don't need to know where you touched him."
"Anyway, we had a good laugh about it and the next day he came back. But this time while I was strapping him in, he asked me to go for dinner and the rest is history." He could hear the joy in her voice. "I think he is the one."
"Derek." The doctor turned to see his wife on the stairs. "Who are you talking to?"
"Natalie. Go back to bed." Derek instructed and turned away from her.
"Hang up right now." Addison demanded.
"She's my sister. Now back to bed." He growled.
"Did I call at a bad time?" Her voice whispered as if her sister in law would hear her on the line.
"No. I'm happy for you Natalie, but is there a point to this call." Derek asked; he could still hear his wife breathing on the stairs.
"Yeah, There is." She paused for a moment. "I need you to wire me twenty five hundred." She said still keeping her voice low. "My work visa doesn't work here and I sent in my application but it can take up to six weeks."
"Of course I can. I'll do it first thing in the morning." He agreed.
"You are the best." Her excitement grew once more. "I will pay you back as soon as I can. I promise."
"I know you will." He said with a slight smile. "I have to go. Talk to soon."
"Alright. Love you Bro." The woman said with a bright smile.
"Love you too." He replied before he hung up.
"Money." Addison voice rang through the living room. "That's what she asked for, didn't she?"
"Go back to bed, Addison." Derek was annoyed as he laid back down on the couch and covered himself with his blanket.
"Didn't she." Addison stomped down the stairs and turned on the light.
"Yeah, she did." Derek shot up from the couch to face his wife. "And will give her the money. She has always paid me back, hasn't she?"
"Yes." Addison's jaw was clenched. "But that's beside the point. Natalie does whatever she wants with no care in the world about the people in her life. She travels everywhere going on excursion after excursion."
"She is young and…" Derek tried to get a word in but failed.
"Taking no responsibility for her actions. We go for months without a word from her. She only calls when she needs you to bail her out of whatever trouble she is in. What is going to happen if you are not there to help her out the hole she has dug herself in." His wife finally stopped her rant.
"That's never going to happen, because she is my sister and I always be there to help her out." Derek defended himself. "She's my family and I would do the same thing to anyone of my sisters." Derek walked into the kitchen and turned the tap on then opening the cupboard to grab a glass and filled it up with water.
"What about me? What about when I need your help?" She asked as she followed him into the kitchen. Derek didn't reply. He just drank his water as he stared out the window. "She has perfect timing, your sister. Always calling when I need you and you always choose her." Addison was frustrated with her husband.
"Did you sleep with Mark?" Derek asked, his back still towards his wife.
"Don't change the subject." Addison was thrown off.
"Did you sleep with Mark?" Derek turned around. Addison looked at down at her feet as her husband walked towards her. "That's what I thought. Now go back to bed." Derek storm passed her and back to the couch. "Turn off the light on your way up." He pulled the covers over his shoulders as her heard the footsteps go up the stairs. The lights were left on.
