Natalie vaulted out of the cab of her green '62 Chevy pickup and ran into the house. Her lab had run over, so she only had fifteen minutes to change into something more appropriate for an outdoor barbeque. She was very nervous. The only person there that she would really know was Chet, Johnny being more of a friendly acquaintance than an actual friend.
She raced up the stairs, nearly tripping over her dog, Tank, in the process. Tank, a big, rather lazy, Rotweiller, opened one eye, and, seeing that his mistress was all right, closed it again.
Upstairs, she changed into a pair of denim shorts and a blue tank top, and then raced into the bathroom to comb and braid her long black hair, stopping momentarily to gaze at a photo of her parents. She had been eighteen when they had been killed in a car accident. She had been in the backseat and had sustained only minor injuries. She had been surprised when Chet had said that he had known her father, Captain Arthur Wyatt, though not very well. Kathryn had refused to pay any on her father's funeral and very little on their mother's, though she certainly did not lack for money. Kathryn had harbored an intense hatred for Arthur Wyatt, who she felt had degraded her mother's social status. Kathryn was quite wealthy from her late father's estate, and that was all she cared about—money and status. Preferably how to use others' money and not her own, and she had expensive tastes. Anyone who dated her learned that the hard way. Why Kathryn had ever gotten with Chet was still a complete mystery to her. She had some speculations, but a person like Kathryn was very hard to grasp.
She was slipping on her shoes when she heard a knock at the door. She went down the stairs to answer it as Tank raced to the door, barking madly. As soon as Natalie opened the door, Tank raced up to Chet, paws on his shoulders, still barking.
"Hey, Nate, long time no see. You either, Tank." Tank, satisfied with the acknowledgement, settled on the rug in front of the staircase.
"Hey, Chet. I'm ready to go." She ran a hand through her bangs. "Gosh, I'm nervous."
"Don't be. You're just letting him see you, so 'hi' is as good a place to start as any. Besides, if it weren't an all right guy, would I even be letting you do this?"
"No, you wouldn't,
"All right then. Now get in the van."
Chet and Natalie spent the trip talking and catching up. By the time they arrived, they were like brother and sister again, playing off of each other and laughing at each others' jokes.
When they arrived, Chet led her up to a group of women: a petite dark-haired woman, a tall brunette, and a Latino of medium build. "Natalie, this is Joanne DeSoto, Lisa Stanley, and Roisita Jaimes."
"A pleasure to meet you," Natalie said as Chet went to join the men out back. She watched warily as Joanne's eyes widened, then narrowed. Might as well grab the bull by the horns. "Kathryn Forrester is my half-sister. Don't worry, I don't like her either."
"I'm…sorry." Joanne was thoroughly chagrined that the younger woman had caught her instinctive reaction to Natalie's resemblance to Kathryn, though Natalie was smaller and more delicately built, and she wore her hair differently. "Come into the kitchen."
Within half an hour, Natalie had broken the ice enough to talk with confidence about her studies, her interests, and her job as the women prepared the food.
"So, are you seeing anybody?" Lisa Stanley asked.
"No, I rarely have the time."
"I think we may be able to set you up with someone." Joanne had a look on her face that made Natalie want to cringe. The matchmaking look. That's dangerous. "I know! Johnny's single."
"I went on a couple of dates with him after Chet set me up with him once when his original date bailed. We decided we were better off as friends."
"What about Chet?" Rosita asked.
"He's like my brother. I just couldn't see him that way." She mentally shuddered at the thought.
"Mike is single," Lisa supplied. "Do you know anything about him?"
"Other than that he might be the man I talked to at work the other day, and the things Chet has said, no. He's only had good things to say about him." And I wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
"Well, look out the window," Joanne said, pushing Natalie towards the window looking out over the deck and back yard. "Is that him?"
Natalie blushed bright red. "Yes," she squeaked.
"Hey, Chet, did you bring anybody this year?" Johnny was helping him unroll the volleyball net.
"Yeah, I brought a friend. You remember Kathryn's half-sister Natalie Wyatt? That works over at Al's Grocery?" He choked back a smile as he saw Mike stop what he was doing and look at the two of them.
"You brought Nate? Cool! How's she been? She seeing anybody?"
"Yeah, I brought her. She's been doing good since Kathryn's been leaving her alone, and no, she's not seeing anybody. I'd have to approve of anybody my little sister dates. I don't want her to end up with a male Kathryn." He glanced at Mike, and then shot Johnny a look that said 'off limits'. Johnny followed his friends thought instantly, a slow grin forming on his face. He noticed Mike relax and return to what he was doing. Well, Nate has a shot. We just need to give him a push.
She and Chet know each other? If I can get him alone, maybe I can ask him about her. "Chet, can I ask you a couple of questions about your van?"
"Sure, though it'd probably be easier if we're looking at it. Come on." Slick. Nice cover.
The two men walked around the front of the house and over to Chet's van. "Shoot, Mike. I know you're not here to ask me about my van. What do you want to know about Nate?"
Caught. "Is she really single? How come you're not dating her?"
"Yes, and because that would be like dating my sister, and you know how gross that is." He gave a dramatic shudder.
Mike nodded. "If somebody were to ask her out and she were to say yes, where would they take her?"
"Well, Nate's very low maintenance. She's happy with dinner and a movie, an outdoor concert, or even just a picnic on the beach."
"How would I…they… ask her?"
'Get her number and talk to her a few times before you ask her out or anything. She has to feel like she trusts you a bit before she might say yes. You have my permission. I'm going to get her new phone number tonight, and I'll give it to you tomorrow."
Wasn't expecting that. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Just remember that if you hurt her, I'll make the stuff the Phantom does to Gage look like kiddie stuff."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The two men headed back around the house and joined in the festivities. All was seemingly going well until Mike was walking up the steps of the deck and tripped on the last step, sending his drink onto Natalie.
"Oh my God, are you all right?" Natalie exclaimed.
"I…I am so sorry!" Mike said at the same time.
"It's all right. I'm just glad I'm not driving."
"I'm all right."
They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.
When their laughter had died down, Mike picked himself up, and Joanne said to Natalie, "If you'll come in, I'm sure we can find you something dry to wear." She led Natalie into the house. Meanwhile, the men picked teams for volleyball, Roy excusing himself because he was grilling, and Mike because he did not particularly care for the game. He instead decided to sit on one of the lounge chairs on the deck and watch.
Inside the house, Joanne, Lisa, and Rosita were raiding Joanne's closet to find something that would flatter Natalie, the trouble being that she was smaller and thinner than Joanne.
"I like this one," Lisa said, pulling an electric blue minidress off of the hanger. Joanne nodded, and Natalie tried it on.
"Wow, it looks better on you than it ever did on me. That's more of a date dress, though. You can borrow it when he asks you out."
"How about this one?" Rosita pulled out a pale blue and green plaid sundress. Natalie tried it on.
"That's the one!" all three women said in unison.
"Well, let's get these in the washer," Joanne said, indicating to Natalie's drink-soaked shorts and tank. "Roy can give them to Chet tomorrow."
Natalie nodded, and they put the clothes in and began to carry out the things for the meal.
When Natalie had finished taking her things out and arranging them on the table, she went back up on the deck to watch the very intense volleyball game.
"Natalie, I really am sorry about earlier." Though the dress is prettier.
"It's all right. Think nothing more of it." He's cute, blushing and stammering like that.
"So, what do you do besides Al's?"\
"I'm a biology major with a minor in anthropology. I want to do forensic anthropology. So, do you have any hobbies?"
"I like to cook and draw. You?"
"I positively stink at cooking. I don't draw well, but I like to sketch. I like to read, mostly science fiction and fantasy."
"Maybe I could…help you with your cooking sometime." It all came out in a rush, before he lost his nerve.
"I'll keep that in mind. I need all the help I can get. The only one that will eat my cooking is Tank, my Rotweiller."
"A…dog?" He sounded a bit panicked. Very few people knew that he was afraid of dogs, especially big ones.
"Tank is just a big baby. The worst he'd do is knock you over trying to hug you. He's usually just this big sleeping blob." She had picked up on the panicked tone to this voice. Probably has had a bad experience with big dogs.
They talked until the food was completely ready, and Natalie found herself genuinely liking the man she was talking to.
She's really nice. I think I'll follow Chet's suggestion.
After the fireworks, everybody started cleaning up and going home. After Chet and Natalie got in the van, Chet asked, "So, did you like him? You two talked for a long time."
"Yes, I liked him. He's really nice, and really funny."\
"Do you want me to give him your number?"\
"Sure. It's 555-7468."
"555-7468. I'll remember that."
"You'd better.'
They continued talking until they reached Natalie's house. "Thanks for everything, big brother, and be careful," Natalie said as she exited the van.