Chapter Ten
Girls and Relic Hunting
About three weeks after they came back from Sweden, Roberto, a young football player, from Italy, requested Sydney's help to find Casanova's Book of Love. After a lot persuasion from the charming young man, Sydney agreed to help him and they all flew off to Italy to begin the search.
Having found some clues to the book's whereabouts, at a Casanova exhibition, they soon located it, although it was immediately stolen from them by some rather unusual Monks! Nevertheless, Roberto and the two relic hunters quickly found the monastery, where the Monks had taken it although, sadly, they were then captured by the Monks, who threatened to seal them in a chamber!
However, before the Monks were able to attempt to seal them up, Sydney discovered that they were actually religious fanatics, who collected erotic objects from all around the world, which they then exorcised, believing they were the work of the Devil! The two relic hunters were both rather surprised by this practice, as it seemed a ridiculous and impossible task! Nevertheless, Sydney simply couldn't help but wonder how much space the Monks actually had in which to put those items, as there were definitely an awful lot of them!
"So what do you do with all the issues of Playboy and Penthouse?...Not to mention all those really nasty magazines?" Sydney asked the Monks, although before they could reply Nigel decided to be a little more precise about what magazines she might mean.
"Yes….Lusty Leather Girls!" he said, right out of the blue, although he looked rather awkward when he realised he'd said it out loud! "I…I was um…told….it's particularly vulgar."
Sydney stared at him in horror, as she was completely stunned that Nigel even knew the name of such a sleazy magazine! Of course, at that moment in time, they were in a sticky situation, so she didn't question him about it, but she certainly intended to once they were free of the Monks.
As it turned out, the Monks weren't actually concerned with modern day erotic objects, like those magazines, they were only interested in ancient relics, such as Casanova's Book of Love!
Having heard the Monk's explanation about exorcising relics, Sydney made it quite clear that they had no intention of allowing that to happen to Casanova's brook, nor would she allow Nigel and herself to be sealed up anywhere!
Obviously, the Monks got very angry about that which meant that Sydney and Nigel had to fight their way out of the monastery; although not before Nigel retrieve the book!
It had always been Sydney's intention, if she found the book, to give it to Roberto, as the young man believed that, as it was a sex manual, it would teach him how to be more sexually appealing to women. However, Sydney made him realise that Kate, his manager, was already in love with him, even before he'd studied the book. It was also apparent to Sydney that Roberto was actually in love with Kate, although he'd never have admitted it until Sydney revealed how Kate felt about him. Once that fact had penetrated his brain, he knew then that he didn't really need the book at all! Of course, even though he didn't need it, he still knew it was a very valuable relic. With that in mind he decided to give it to Sydney, as a thank you gift for helping to bring him and Kate together! Sydney was thrilled, as she really wanted a chance to study the book, for obvious reasons! That being the case, she decided to temporarily take it back to America and then return it to Italy when she'd finished reading it.
On the flight home Sydney decided to confront Nigel about his shocking comment at the monastery, which he still felt really embarrassed about!
"Syd….I've never read anything like that...honestly….I'd have been beaten black and blue if I'd been caught with a dirty magazine at school and I wouldn't have dared have one at home….or university!" Nigel said, thinking then that Preston had probably bought magazines like that, bearing in mind he was the type of man who'd invited prostitutes into his home!
"I should hope not!" Sydney said, still feeling quite confused "you really shocked me Nigel…but…how did you even know about such a magazine as Lusty Leather Girls!?"
"Oh…um…I'm sorry Syd….it was um…..actually Derek Lloyd…he….um…showed me that magazine when we were flying back from Peru.….I think he just wanted to shock me….which he did!...I only saw a couple of pictures…but…but….that was enough!"
"Oh….I might have known he'd have something to do with it!...But Nigel…I'm so glad you haven't started looking at things that degrade women….imagine what Louisa Wright or Alice Bally would think if they heard you were reading things like that…..especially while you're working for me!...I'll beat the crap out of Derek next time I see him!" Sydney said, realising how mortified Nigel was feeling about the whole matter.
Even though Nigel had never actually read a pornographic magazine, he was extremely curious about "The Book of Love" and definitely wanted to have a good look at it. He tried, on a few occasions, to read bits of it and was completely stunned by the rather imaginative positions couples could get themselves into whilst making love!
Obviously, all he really knew about sex was what the two women he'd slept with had taught him and the few things he'd seen on TV, or in films. He, therefore, considered that reading the book might give him a few good tips! However, he was aware that, even if he was lucky enough make love to a girl, he'd never be bold enough to suggest that they try something from that book! Of course, he knew that reading it wasn't going to help him get over the awkwardness he felt with regard to his scarring, but he realised that being with the right girl, who'd make him feel relaxed, would.
On the same day as they returned home from Italy, Nigel received a voicemail message from Mika saying that she'd be arriving in Boston the following day! Unfortunately though, Nigel's phone had been switched off while they were on the plane, so he was only able to pick up the message, and call her back, after they'd landed. Having then explained why he'd not returned her call earlier, he excitedly promised he'd meet her at the airport.
Sydney could see how thrilled Nigel was about Mika visiting, as he had that faraway look in his eyes! However, she realised then that, as he hadn't been home for over a week, he'd need to prepare his apartment and buy some groceries before she arrives. With that in mind she allowed Nigel to go straight home, instead of stopping off at Trinity first, which was their normal practice.
The next day Nigel hired a limousine to take him to the airport, as he wanted to impress Mika and ensure that she was comfortable after her long flight. Naturally, having not seen her for a while, he was really excited as she walked out of Arrivals, wearing a beautiful green suit. Much to his joy, she seemed delighted to see him too, as she immediately threw her arms around him and hugged him really tightly. Nigel, of course, tried to do the same, although it was a little difficult, as he was holding a huge bunch of red roses for her!
Naturally, Mika was very impressed by the expensive flowers and the limo, but she immediately told him off for spending his hard-earned money this way! Of course, she believed, like most people, that he lived on a teaching assistant's salary and had no idea that Nigel had no money worries at all. He decided, however, not to put her right, as it would look like he was bragging, and he hadn't even told Sydney that he was wealthy, as yet!
As Nigel had to work the following day he arranged for Mika to go shopping in Boston with Fred's daughter, Sue, who was a similar age and loved to shop. Nigel, in fact, had to work most of the week, as he and Sydney were extra busy grading midterm papers. He wasn't too happy about that, but he knew he couldn't leave Sydney to do it alone. Sydney, however, had every intention of letting him to go home early, each day, so that he could enjoy Mika's visit.
One morning Nigel arrived at work a little late. It was, however, pretty obvious that he was in pain, as he was limping, holding his groin and asking for aspirin! At this point in time though, Sydney actually wasn't sure whether or not Nigel was still a virgin, so sometimes she'd make a comical remark about sex, just to gauge his reaction.
"So was it page 67?" she teased, pretending she thought he'd used a sex position from Casanova's book and hurt himself in the process!
"No…it was page 72 actually!" he replied, blushing bright red because, with her knowledge, he'd actually borrowed the book the previous night.
She was shocked, but she was rather pleased too, as she liked Mika; although she hoped Nigel wouldn't go falling too deeply in love with her, as she was only in Boston for that week!
Sadly though, Nigel's pain wasn't caused by making love to Mika, he'd actually slipped on the bathroom floor and almost did the splits! As he was rather embarrassed about it, he decided to let Sydney believe she was right about him using the book! However, he felt a bit guilty about that, because he and Mika were not having that sort of relationship at all; they really were just good friends.
Nigel and Mika got on really well, as they had more things in common than wanting to be well educated. They went to the cinema, for nice long walks by the river and to some really good restaurants at night. However, Nigel soon discovered that Mika actually enjoyed dancing and that recently she'd had no time to do that, at all. He, therefore, decided he'd take her to a night club, although he knew he wouldn't enjoy it himself, as he hated loud music and had never learned to dance.
As he'd never gone to a night club before, however, he had no idea what to wear, so he thought he'd ask Mika's advice. She loved the idea of choosing some clothes for him, although she wanted to see what he had in his wardrobe before he spent any money! Luckily she found a lovely pale blue shirt and some designer jeans, which hugged his hips and made him look extra gorgeous. She told him straight out how sexy he looked, which made him smile and blush; although he thought he looked OK as well!
She wore a lovely royal blue dress, with black high heel shoes and carried a bag to match her outfit. She simply took Nigel's breath away; although he tried not to drool too much!
When they got to the club the doorman immediately asked Nigel if he was twenty one.
"No…I'm twenty two actually" Nigel said, feeling really uncomfortable.
The doorman looked very sceptical and insisted that he either provide some form of ID, or leave! Nigel took out his college identity card and a photocopy of his passport; which he'd recently started carrying with him for situations like this. The doorman eventually let him, although he thought that Nigel was a very lucky guy to be with such a beautiful 'older' woman!
"You behave yourself young man" the doorman joked, as he patted him on the head like he was a little boy "I don't want to have to call out the riot police to arrest you!" Those comments, although they were only meant as a joke, made Nigel blush again, although he hoped the darkness of the club would hide it.
Bearing in mind how much Mika liked dancing, Nigel did his very best to jig around the floor with her, although he felt very self-conscious.
"Don't look so worried Nigel….you're doing just fine" Mika said, smiling fondly at him.
He began to loosen up a bit, realising she was actually enjoying his company and they even held hands as they danced. After about half an hour though, they'd both had enough and sat down at a table to rest and have a drink. Neither of them wanted alcohol, as they were quite thirsty and preferred to have some orange juice or ginger ale.
Unfortunately, there were two rather large drunken men at the club who kept rudely calling out to Mika to get up and dance with them. She ignored them, at first, but then they, quite scarily, approached her and tugged on her arm. Nigel, of course, being quite brave, asked them to leave her alone, because not only was she was with him, but she wanted to rest!
However, the men then decided to pick a fight with Nigel, even though he was half their size and young enough to be their grandson! Therefore, without even a second thought, one of the louts picked him up by the seat of his jeans, and the back of his shirt, and threw him over the top of some sofas! Nigel was quite stunned by that, but he managed to get up, just as the two men were dragging Mika off towards the bar.
Even though he was disorientated, Nigel ran after them, grabbed hold of one of the men and tried to make him let go of her. Sadly though, the brute immediately swung around and viciously hit Nigel in the stomach, which took his breath away and caused him to fall to the floor and curl up in pain!
Just at that moment the manager of the club rushed into the bar with two rather tough looking security guards. They'd been alerted by the bar man that there was a scuffle going on and they hoped they'd be able to calm it down without anyone getting hurt. However, upon seeing Mika struggling with the two large men, and Nigel on the floor, one of the guards immediately picked Nigel up and sat him on a couch, while the manager and the other guard rushed to Mika's rescue.
Having then ensured that no innocent person would get hurt, they grabbed hold of the two drunken men, threw them out of the door and told them they were banned for life!
Luckily, both of the guards were trained in first aid and, therefore, while one of them checked out Mika, the other examined Nigel, hoping he hadn't been seriously hurt.
Nigel cringed in pain as the guard touched his stomach to check if he was OK.
"Bit tender son?" the guard asked, pulling his hand away quite quickly.
"I'm alright Sir…..I've been punched before…..but…but I've lost my friend!" He said, looking really worried, as he tried stand up.
"Sit still kid….she's fine" the guard said, holding Nigel by the shoulders, so that he'd stay on the couch "she's with my colleague….she'll probably have a few bruises on her wrists tomorrow…..but she's not seriously hurt. You, on the other hand, are kind of small to be fighting with guys like that…..are you absolutely certain you don't need a doctor?...I can drive you to the hospital….if you like."
"No…I don't need a doctor…I'm alright…really I am…thanks for helping me though" Nigel said, feeling a little shaky.
Just then Mika, who'd been talking to the manager and the other guard while Nigel was being attended to, came over to see if he was alright. She was relieved to see that he appeared to be OK, although his hair was a bit dishevelled and his face was all covered in sweat. Of course, she was very impressed that Nigel had tried to help her and immediately gave him a huge kiss, which made him feel a bit happier, even though his stomach was a little tender.
By the following day Nigel was feeling relatively OK and so was Mika. They, therefore, decided that they'd not see a doctor, although they did take some paracetamol, to help with their mildly aching heads.
The week went by so quickly and Mika, who needed to be careful with her money, refused to take advantage of Nigel's generosity. She'd insisted on paying her share of the bill when they'd eaten out at restaurants, and had even bought some groceries when they stayed in. He initially took the money she gave him, so as not to offend or embarrass her, but then, just before she left, he put $500 in her suitcase with a note that said 'this is a gift sweetheart….please use it for books or whatever else you need…love Nigel.'
When Mika had gone he felt really down, as she'd been wonderful company and was genuinely a lovely person. She'd made him feel very at ease although, unfortunately, he'd secretly begun to fall for her. However, he'd still been a perfect gentleman and never once attempted to take advantage of her. Of course, as she had to go back to Sweden to attend university, she really appreciated that, especially as she'd decided that she only wanted him as a friend. Of course, she'd no idea how inexperienced Nigel actually was with women anyway, nor that he was starting to feel more for her, than she did for him!
Sydney and Claudia both noticed how sad Nigel was after Mika had returned home and they did their best to cheer him up. Surprisingly, Claudia was very supportive for a change as she, thoughtfully, made him a nice cup of English tea and placed it on his desk with a muffin. This kind gesture made him feel a little better, as it showed that, deep down, she actually cared. This was important to him, as he'd made so few friends since he'd been in America, mainly because he was never around long enough to meet anyone. That made him feel quite homesick and he missed Nanny Wright, Uncle George and Aunty Alice a lot. Sydney, on the other hand, had lots of friends from the past, who still visited her when she was home, so having to constantly leave the country to go relic hunting, didn't affect her quite the same way.
A few weeks after Mika had gone home Sydney had a visit from Molly, an old friend of hers, who wanted Sydney to help her find the lost crown of King Brian Boru of Ireland. She explained to Sydney that an internet acquaintance of hers, Sean Bolger, had discovered a piece of an ancient poem which he believed could help them find the crown. The verse, however, was written in middle Gaelic, which Sydney found hard to read although, luckily, Nigel could read it quite well. She, therefore, passed the poem to him, not only because he could read it, but because she'd noticed he had that look in his eye when he observed Molly! Sydney, of course, believed that showing off his language skills would make Molly notice him; although actually, she already had, and she definitely thought he was cute!
As Nigel's relationship with Mika had not turned to romance, Sydney thought that Molly was just the kind of girl that Nigel needed, as she was young, very sweet and quite pretty. She was also rather outspoken, although Sydney thought that might be a good thing for Nigel.
Having decided she wanted to find the crown, Sydney asked Claudia to book their flight to Ireland, hoping that Molly and Nigel would become more that just acquaintances!
However, when they were in Ireland searching for the crown, Molly took a shine to Garrett O'Donnell, whose ancestors were accused of being traitors to the King. Unfortunately, Molly paid little attention to Nigel once Garrett was on the scene, although she still really liked him as a friend, and truly didn't want to hurt him.
Luckily, while they were unravelling the clues that they hoped would lead them to the crown they, inadvertently, found proof that the O'Donnell's were not traitors at all, they were heroes, and were actually the protectors of the crown of King Boru!
Being the great relic hunters that they were, Sydney and Nigel eventually found the crown, although instead of taking it to Boston, Sydney wanted to arrange for it to be put in a museum in Ireland. However, as that would take some time, she came up with a clever plan that involved Molly covering her classes at Trinity and Nigel flying home with her to show her the ropes! Molly was, naturally, very happy to do this, as it showed how much Sydney trusted her! Of course, Sydney's plan also gave Nigel a bit of time to get to know Molly; without Garrett being there!
Once they'd been home for a couple of days Molly happily agreed to go on a date with Nigel, who was so thrilled, as he thought he'd never get a chance to do that! He booked a table at a lovely restaurant, where guitarists serenade young couples who appear to be in love. Both Molly and Nigel blushed when they came over to their table, but they smiled at each other as well.
"This restaurant is just perfect Nigel….those guys can certainly play" Molly said, looking into his eyes and holding onto his hand; which made him to think she really liked him!
"It is um…sort of special Molly" he said, blushing a little "um… would you like to come here again in a couple of days?...Or…um….we could go somewhere else if you'd prefer."
"I'd love to Nigel…..anywhere is fine by me though" she said, thinking he was so cute!
Having thoroughly enjoyed each other's company throughout the whole evening, Nigel began to feel relaxed, as she'd been so sweet and kind to him. That was, of course, was because she realised how shy he was when it came to girls, which was the opposite of how most men were.
Unfortunately, on the same day as they'd planned their second date, Garrett decided to fly over from Ireland to see Molly and he immediately asked her out! She was rather embarrassed about the situation, having truly believed she'd never see him again. However, as Garrett had made such a long trip, she felt obliged to invite him along on her date with Nigel! Of course, although Nigel tried really hard not to show it, he was deeply disappointed that Garrett was joining them; especially as he'd been given no choice in the matter at all.
During dinner Garrett was all over Molly and it was obvious that she still really liked him, although she hated hurting Nigel by repeating what she'd done in Ireland. However, Nigel soon realised he was never going to win her love with Garrett around, as he was so confident and bold, so he feigned a headache and went home.
Sydney arrived back from Ireland the next day and immediately noticed how unhappy Nigel was. She called him into her office and he explained what had happened, trying hard not to be too bitter and making a 'joke' about his luck with girls. Sydney did her absolute best to console him, which wasn't easy when he was hurting so much. However, the conversation ended with Nigel declaring he was having nothing more to do with girls and was going to concentrate on more important things; like his education!
When Nigel had originally accepted the position at Trinity, he had an agreement with the college, and Sydney, that he would be permitted time off to study for his Masters. However, after he'd started working for the busy professor, it appeared that she'd forgotten about that, as she constantly dragged him off on relic hunts and kept him late at work. Although he was learning lots of amazing things while he travelled the world, he was becoming increasingly unhappy about not having time to study and having no personal life. Being so shy, and because he knew Sydney needed his extensive knowledge on relic hunts, it took him a long time to pluck up the courage to face her with the problem. Of course, when he did, Sydney felt terrible as she realised that Nigel must have found it difficult to approach her about this.
Naturally, because she cared about him very much; thinking of him more as a younger brother than an employee, she did everything she could to make amends and promised she'd help him in every way she could with regard to his studies.
The first thing she decided was that she wouldn't take Nigel on any hunts unless his being there was vital to its success. This pleased Nigel, as he didn't want to give up relic hunting completely; he just wanted time to study. Sydney promised then that, even when they were on relic hunts together, he could still study and get information off the internet, by using his laptop.
Realising she was going to miss Nigel's company and his knowledge when she was hunting alone, she asked him if he'd mind her calling him, from wherever she was, with any questions on the relic she was looking for. Of course, Nigel had no objection to that at all, as she often needed help in that regard. Naturally though, he hoped that, whenever she needed his assistance, it wouldn't be too time consuming!
From then on Nigel used every spare moment he had to study, attend seminars and simply read the books he'd had shipped from England. Of course, he was actually an amazing young man, who was able to show just how brilliant he was after only a few weeks.
All of this studying, sporadic relic hunting and daily work at Trinity, helped keep Nigel's mind off the girls he'd lost, although he still occasionally thought about them. However, he tried to convince himself that he didn't want a girlfriend at all; although he knew, deep down, that he did; he was just afraid of getting hurt again.
Sometimes Nigel couldn't avoid seeing pretty girls, as lots of them attended the same lectures as him. At one of those lectures, however, he simply couldn't help but notice a very pretty French student, called Nicole. She was rather petite and made him feel quite tall for a change. He was far too shy to approach her to discuss the lecture, or anything else for that matter, although he'd noticed her looking at him too. At first, she didn't say anything to him, except "hello" in that lovely French accent that she had; although she'd occasionally wave and smile. He eventually plucked up the courage to speak to her, although his shyness held him back to the point where he got quite annoyed with himself. He knew he should really just go for it, as she was obviously attracted to him and was most likely waiting to be asked out. However, his fear of being hurt and his timidity prevented him from doing so, although he knew he'd probably kick himself if he didn't.
When Nicole started to write her thesis, Nigel thought he'd probably never see her again which saddened him, as he still hadn't found the courage to ask her out.
However, as luck would have it, Nicole amazingly, approached Sydney to help her find an ancient marriage document. This document was desperately needed to prove, once and for all, who the rightful owner of the village was, where Nicole grew up. She wanted to prevent the village from being sold and turned into a leisure resort and hoped that, finding the name of the person who now owned the village, would stop that. Once Sydney had heard Nicole's story, she was very happy to help, as was Nigel, who could hardly wait to see her again!
When Sydney and Nigel arrived in France, they immediately went to Nicole's village where the cute French girl greeted Nigel with a kiss on both cheeks. She then explained that, unfortunately, she was only able to find one room in the village where they'd all have to stay during their visit. Of course, that rather pleased Nigel, who couldn't wait to see the bedroom, especially as he really believed that Nicole felt the same way!
Feeling the need to make up for lost time; Nigel tried to get Sydney out of the room so that he could make a move on Nicole! This was, actually, quite out of character for Nigel, but he couldn't bear the thought of missing his chance with this beautiful young lady again! As they sat on the bed together, he tried to recall what his two other sexual partners had taught him, which helped a little; although after kissing Nicole a couple of times, he suddenly lost confidence as he remembered his scars. However, before they were able to go any further, Sydney came back, as she needed their help to find that marriage document!
Even though Nigel and Nicole managed to get into bed together a couple more times, nothing much really happened. They kissed and cuddled but Nicole had begun to realise that, because she really liked Nigel, she didn't want their relationship to be based purely on lust. She wanted him to be the shy, young, intelligent, gentleman that she'd seen in the lecture hall; not the obviously out of character young man she'd been in bed with.
After they found the document, Nicole promised Nigel that as soon as everything was settled at home, she'd come to America so that they could get to know each other properly.
Nigel was very respectful of her feelings and, in fact, realised that what Nicole wanted to do, was actually what he'd wanted to do all along; although he'd never actually gotten up the nerve to ask her out! He felt quite embarrassed that he'd acted so ungentlemanly towards her and certainly wished that he hadn't. The fact was, he knew that if they were to spend some quality time together, they'd both gain confidence and be able to make love in the natural way that most young couples did. He believed too that once they'd gotten to really know each other, he wouldn't have to worry about his expertise in bed, nor about the scars on his behind, because Nicole would understand.
It didn't take long to save the village from destruction using that old document so, as soon as everything was settled, Nicole flew back to America to see Nigel.
However, after about three weeks Nicole realised she was missing her family, friends and France itself, far too much, and sadly felt she had to return. Nigel had been the perfect gentleman during her entire stay, as he didn't want to make the same mistake again. However, there was nothing he could do, or say, that would make Nicole change her mind about going home; although she did suggest he came to France with her! Unfortunately, as heart-breaking as it was for them both, Nigel simply couldn't leave America, right now, not while he was doing his Masters and working for Sydney!
Even though things didn't work out for him and Nicole, Nigel still saw her off at the airport, where they both cried as they went their separate ways.
The plane had barely taken off when Nigel felt the need to ring Sydney, hoping she'd be able to cheer him up. Unfortunately though, it went to voicemail and he was forced to leave a message saying he wasn't feeling well and needed to take a few days off work.
Upon hearing that message, Sydney guessed the real reason he needed time off and rang him straight away. She could tell by his voice, as he explained what had happened, that he was very upset and she, therefore, wanted to help.
"Nige….any girl would be lucky to have a boyfriend like you….but you're far too young to be thinking so seriously about any girl…..I know you really like Nicole….but unless you're prepared to live in France…..you'll have to let her go…..look ….I can think of at least ten girls at this college who'd love to go out with you!"
"Really!...Oh….that's um….nice….and…and I know I shouldn't let this get to me Syd…but it's just….well….she's so wonderful….but….but….you're right….if she just can't live in America….and I can't see myself living in France….it's just not going to work out….I guess life just isn't fair sometimes."
"That's all so true Nige…..now…try to get some sleep….I'm sure you'll feel more optimistic in a few days."
During the next few months Nigel studied even harder to try and keep his mind off Molly, Mika and Nicole. He did, occasionally, speak to Mika over the phone, as he was interested in how she was doing at university. He loved chatting with her about the lectures she'd been to and the fun she was having with the other students. However, one day, right out of the blue, she told him she was dating a fellow student and that it was getting quite serious! Nigel, naturally, felt a little jealous, although he was also pleased for her, because, after all, they really were only friends, so she was free to date whoever she wanted. He wished her good luck and never let on, at all, that he felt a little more for her than friendship.
A couple of days after Mika told him about her new romance, he was feeling a little low, thinking everyone had someone to love but him. Sydney, of course, noticed he'd been rather quiet, although she hoped it wasn't the usual thing that was causing that!
"What's wrong Nigel?…You're moping around and looking quite lost….it's not girl trouble again…is it?"
"Oh…its silly really Syd….it's Mika….she's fallen in love….and…and I'm pleased for her….it's just…just…well…..I'd like someone to fall in love with me!….I suppose I'm boring and….well…English….so girls think I don't have deep feelings!...But I do…I need companionship and….and….love….just like…like everyone else!" he said, immediately wishing he hadn't!
"Oh Nige…..I know you're not very lucky in love….but you'll find someone….it'll happen just when you least expect it….you're handsome, intelligent and totally lovable….so it's bound to happen sooner or later….as I said before there are lots of girls around who fancy you!"
Sydney was about to give Nigel a reassuring hug when Claudia walked into the office with a guy called Mark Lane, who was a retired archaeologist. Mark, who'd known Sydney for years, explained that he'd been given a map which, if interpreted correctly, could lead to the whereabouts of the vessel of the Mochica tribe. This vessel had apparently been lost for thirteen hundred years and supposedly held the spirit of a warrior who protected the doomed!
Knowing he could trust Sydney, Mark asked her to look for it, as ill health prevented him from doing that himself, right now. As soon as he showed her the map, and explained what his research had revealed, she jumped at the chance of finding such an amazing relic. As luck would have it, one of the things that Nigel had been studying was the Mochica tribe, which meant that he possessed extensive knowledge of them and could speak a little of their language. However, there was one problem, they lived in Peru, where Nigel had contracted yellow fever and was almost killed by a landmine.
Sydney knew, however, that she couldn't undertake this hunt alone, but she believed she had no right to insist that Nigel went with her either. However, sensing her anxiety, Nigel made it easy for her by volunteering his services; which he hoped would show her how mature and professional he could be, even when he was feeling depressed.
Sydney thanked him and explained that she'd understand if he changed his mind because she knew it was going to be a tough hunt. Luckily though, he actually wanted to go, because he believed it would help him with his studies. However, to put Sydney's mind at rest, he told her that he'd recently joined a gym and was getting a lot stronger, although he left out the fact that he'd only been there twice, so far!
While they were in Peru they followed the clues on the map and, amazingly, found the vessel and released the spirit of the warrior to its rightful place. It was here too that Nigel met Cate Hemphill, a beautiful woman who, at first, he had no idea was an Interpol agent!
Nigel was not immediately attracted to Cate, but she certainly grew on him, quite quickly. Their first meeting occurred when Cate's car had broken down in the jungle and she'd begged Sydney to give her a lift to the airport. Bearing in mind, however, that Sydney was driving a motorcycle, whilst Nigel was in the sidecar, the only way they could accommodate Cate was by letting her sit on his lap!
Initially Nigel had been very wary of Cate, because she claimed she was doing missionary work in Peru. However, while they were on a plane, which was later shot down by some rebel soldiers, Nigel discovered she had a gun!
As the days went by though, Nigel became very impressed by Cate's strength and her kindness towards Hans Lubeck, an elderly gentleman, who'd been injured when the plane was shot down. It was her kindness towards Hans that eventually attracted him to her, along with the fact that she was very calm, even in dangerous situations, and was, obviously, very intelligent.
After the plane had crashed a few of the survivors were taken prisoner by the rebels who, terrifyingly, put Cate, Hans and Nigel in front of a firing squad! Luckily though, Sydney, who'd become separated from them earlier, attacked the soldiers and, thankfully, rescued the three of them.
Sadly though, Hans was killed while they were trying to make their escape, which Nigel found extremely distressing, as he'd become very fond of the older gentleman. It was at that point that Nigel could no longer hide the way he felt about the terrifying ordeal they'd all been through. So while Cate drove the truck away, with him and Sydney in the back, Nigel leaned against Sydney's shoulder and wept quietly, as the body of Hans lay stretched out in front of them.
Even though Sydney had been though a terrible time herself, whilst separated from Nigel, the thought that he'd almost been killed again, deeply upset her. She did, however, manage to keep her emotions hidden until they reached safety, but then she opened up to him.
"Nigel…..I'm so….so sorry I let this happen to you" she said, her heart going out to him as she saw the anguish on his face.
"Syd it wasn't your fault…the rebels just overwhelmed us…but I knew you'd save us!" Nigel said, trying really hard to smile.
Two days later they were on the flight back home, where Nigel and Cate really hit it off. Nigel, quite cheerfully, told the agent some stories about the hunts he'd been on with Sydney; although he left out a few facts so that he wouldn't look so weak.
However, Sydney watched Nigel squirm when Cate told him about her career with Interpol, as she described some very nasty things she'd had to do. Despite that, Sydney could see Nigel falling for Cate, right before her eyes. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but worry that, if they became a couple, Nigel might get anxious, or stressed out, when Cate had to constantly leave town to go on dangerous missions.
She did, however, like Cate very much, as it wasn't often she ran into another woman who was as strong and determined as she was. She also considered that Cate could probably teach her young assistant a thing or two about life, but deep down she thought Cate was probably far too old for him.
However, when they arrived back in Boston Cate gave Nigel a look that, clearly, showed that she liked him and she promptly kissed him on the cheek.
"I have to go and get debriefed now Nigel….and unfortunately I won't be free for a couple of weeks….but you can still call me…if you want to" Cate said, giving him a very sexy smile.
"Oh I….I will Cate…bye" Nigel said, thinking he could hardly wait to see her again!
As it was a Friday afternoon Sydney sent Nigel straight home as she could see he was exhausted. The fact was, having his life threatened again and seeing Hans killed, right in front of his eyes, had caused him to have bad nightmares again and, he'd hardly slept at all while they were in Peru. Sydney had, however, deliberately shared a room with him during their last two nights in South America, as she realised that might happen and she wanted to be there for him.
When Nigel got back to his apartment, all he could really think about was Cate. That being the case, he hoped that being safe at home would help him sleep, and dream nice things about her; instead of Hans and the firing squad! Unfortunately, that wasn't to be, as he had one of the worst nights he could remember. In fact, he woke up soaking wet and shaking with fear, and he was quite disorientated for a few minutes. However, he didn't call Sydney to help him through it, he called John Baines, as he'd done on many occasions since he'd first met him.
During the weekend Nigel called Cate several times and left four or five messages, on her voicemail. Sadly though, she didn't return any of his calls. He felt really dejected, as even though he knew she wasn't going to be free to see him for a couple of weeks, she'd still indicated that she'd like to hear from him.
However, when Sydney called to check on him, as promised, he only briefly mentioned Cate; making out it was no big deal that they hadn't spoken, although Sydney could tell by his voice that he was rather upset.
Unfortunately, by Monday, when he went into work, he was really down in the dumps, which Claudia immediately noticed. She'd already heard from Sydney that Nigel had 'fallen out of love again' and began to question him about his weekend. He was right in the middle of telling her how the woman he likes had not returned his calls when, suddenly, Sydney led Cate out of her office! She'd been there all along and Claudia knew it, she just wanted to 'torture' him for a few minutes!
Realising Cate and Nigel needed some privacy, Claudia and Sydney left them alone. Cate then explained that, the reason she'd not returned his calls was because she wanted to see if they could make a fresh start; with no lies or deception. She felt that meeting him, this way, face to face, was the only way to really do that.
With the explanation complete she sat on his lap, just like she'd done in Peru, and they kissed very passionately. Nigel was soon feeling on top of the world and even plucked up the courage to ask her out on a date, that very same evening! She instantly accepted, causing Nigel to give her one of his most gorgeous smiles, which unbeknown to him, made Cate's heart skip a beat!
Feeling really thrilled, he let Cate choose exactly where she'd like to go on their first date. He was, however, a bit surprised when she chose a really expensive restaurant, which was situated at the top of a skyscraper! Unfortunately, to reach the restaurant you had to go up in a glass lift, which was connected to the outside of the building! Nigel was petrified as they ascended to the top floor, which caused Cate to roar with laughter as she watched him pin himself to the part of the lift that wasn't made of glass!
Nigel spared no expense with dinner, which rather surprised Cate, although she actually intended to pay for it; bearing in mind she'd chosen the rather exclusive restaurant.
He ordered wine with the meal, which cost $85 a bottle, as he'd been advised by the waiter that it was a very good year and would go well with the food they'd chosen. The waiter poured out a large glass for Cate and, at Nigel's request, a small one for him. Nigel, of course, realised that that would make him feel less inhibited, although it wouldn't make him tipsy or sleepy. Later on, however, Cate poured out another large glass for her and an extra-large one for him; which he felt obliged to drink. He then decided to propose a toast, as he'd started to feel very relaxed and quite tipsy!
"To the Mochicas…..for bringing us together!" he said, as they tapped their glasses and Nigel smiled and looked lovingly into Cate's eyes.
Unfortunately, just as he'd feared, after drinking a further glass of wine, he felt completely drunk! In fact, he could hardly walk by the time they were ready to leave the restaurant! Luckily, he remembered the pin number for his credit card when he paid the bill, having totally refused to let Cate pay it, like she'd planned.
Hoping Nigel would be able to afford his Visa bill at the end of the month; Cate took him by the arm and led him into the lift. She held him very tightly as they descended to the ground because, even though he was drunk, the lift still bothered him and she didn't find it funny this time.
Fortunately, there were plenty of taxis outside the building, so within minutes they were on their way to the Cate's temporary apartment; which was actually owned by Interpol. Once they arrived, of course, being the gentleman that he was, Nigel asked the driver to wait while he walked Cate, rather unsteadily, to the door.
"Thanks for a lovely evening Nigel….give me a call" Cate said, leaning forward so that they could kiss.
"I…I will C..Cate" he said, his speech sounding rather slurred.
As soon as Cate closed the door, Nigel staggered back into the taxi, although when he arrived at his apartment, thirty minutes later, he was fast asleep! Unfortunately, even though the cab driver tried hard to wake him, he couldn't. Nigel twitched and mumbled as he slept, although, thankfully, he didn't appear to be having a nightmare.
Realising Nigel wasn't going to be able to get out of the car without help, the driver waved to the doorman, who was stood outside Nigel's apartment building, smoking a cigarette. Of course, he immediately came over to the car when he realised who the passenger was, although he was surprised that Nigel was drunk! Nigel had, in fact, only moved into this apartment two months before, as Trinity needed his previous apartment, and a couple of others, for some new professors. The doorman threw Nigel over his shoulder and managed to find the young man's wallet, in his trouser pocket, which he opened and paid the driver.
Having carried Nigel to his apartment, the doorman put him on the bed, took off his shoes and pulled the duvet over him. He then left Nigel's wallet and the receipt for the taxi fare on the bedside cabinet, along with a large glass of water and some aspirin. He really didn't mind doing this for Nigel, as he liked him, in fact, they often chatted about history, which was something the doorman enjoyed.
The following day, once Nigel had gotten over his hangover, he was in a very good mood; which Sydney immediately noticed.
"So how was your date with Cate then?" she enquired, looking at his cheerful expression.
"It was wonderful….mostly" he said, thinking about the scene in the lift and the fact that he felt like a fool when he got drunk. He hoped, however, that he hadn't done anything too stupid, as his memory of that part of the evening was a little blurred!
"Are you going out with her again?" she asked, hoping he'd say yes, even though she didn't think Cate was quite right for him.
"Um…I guess I'll have to call her" he said, looking at the phone on his desk. He picked it up, dialled her number and got her voicemail, so he simply left a message. By the end of the day, however, Cate had still not returned his call, so he impatiently called her again. Unfortunately, by the next evening, as he'd still not heard from her, he began to feel very despondent.
Amazingly though, the following day, Cate called him at Trinity and asked him out! He was a little annoyed at first, as she'd taken so long to call him back. However, when she explained she'd been busy with work, he realised that was probably the truth, especially bearing in mind she was an Interpol Agent.
That evening they went to a charming restaurant in the countryside, which was really romantic and beautiful. They had a great meal and he only drank half a glass of wine, so he was sociable, but not tipsy. After dinner, they took a little stroll around to the back of the restaurant and kissed under the moonlight, where Nigel thought he'd not felt this happy in ages.
However, all of a sudden his eyes started to water, his breathing became difficult and he felt really awful. From previous experience though, he immediately realised he was having an allergic reaction to horse hair! He then noticed, with horror, that they were stood right by the side of a paddock, where three horses were busy chomping at the grass!
Seeing Nigel have an allergic reaction really shocked Cate, who ran into the restaurant to alert the owner and call an ambulance. Luckily, they arrived within twenty minutes and Nigel was able to explain to the paramedics exactly what was wrong. They soon had him breathing freely again, although Nigel was very annoyed with himself for forgetting to put his antihistamines in his pocket. Doctor Baines had warned him to do that, at all times, especially on relic hunts, or when he went out into the countryside; so he really could have kicked himself!
Once he was feeling better he gave Cate an endearing smile "sorry I spoilt the evening."
"Don't worry about it Nigel….I still enjoyed it….thank you for being such a perfect gentleman…..I'm…um…..sorry you were so unwell though" she said, as they got into the car. Having reached his apartment, they kissed and said goodnight and Nigel went to bed feeling a little embarrassed.
However, the following day, Nigel felt the need to call Cate to apologise again for spoiling their date and because it had been playing on his mind, all night, that she probably thinks he's a wimp!
Annoyingly, as always, it went to voicemail and she didn't return his call. He tried several more times over the next few days but she still didn't reply. However, two weeks later Nigel got a voicemail message from her saying that she was on an assignment with Interpol and that she was sorry she hadn't called before. She then went on to say that she really wasn't sure when she'd be back in Boston, although Nigel actually believed that that was just her way of telling him that he was dumped!
He managed to keep his 'break up' a secret from Sydney, for a couple of weeks, but then he decided he'd better tell her what had happened, otherwise she'd accuse him of being secretive. She wasn't surprised at all really, as she didn't think that he and Cate were that compatible, even though she personally liked them both.
Over the weeks that followed Sydney tried to leave Nigel at Trinity as often as she could, because his usual way of getting over a girl was to study extra hard. However, she still needed him on some the hunts although, unfortunately, Nigel had some awful experiences on a couple of those, which actually scared the life out of him.
His problem was that he wanted to help Sydney when they were attacked by rival relic hunters, as he believed that that would show her he was maturing and could look after himself. He sometimes, however, inadvertently made things worse by doing that, which caused Sydney to lose focus on the hunt.
Because of that she ordered him to keep out of the way, unless he was absolutely positive he could knock out their attacker by using something hard. She explained then that she thought he simply wasn't built to be a fighter, nor was he generally strong enough to fight the thugs who attacked them.
He knew she was right, as he still hadn't gone back to the gym; but sometimes their attackers went directly for him and, in a lot of situations, if it hadn't been for Sydney, he wouldn't have seen another day!
At those times she'd rescue him, ask if he was alright, and then they'd get on with the hunt. The fact was, he would always say he was fine, even if he wasn't, as he was actually very aware that she needed to keep focused!
More often than not though, when Sydney rescued him, she appeared to be rather cold and acted like she didn't care. Nigel, however, knew that she did, just like he cared about her. However, at the first possible moment, when they were both safe, or had found the relic they were looking for, she'd reassure him that she'd always watch his back, no matter what!
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and, once or twice, Nigel actually saved Sydney's life! One of those occasions was when they were in New Orleans, where they were attacked by Auguste Devereaux, who was an evil and powerful man. He actually practiced voodoo, yet when Nigel saw him trying to strangle Sydney, he put his own fears to the back of his mind, rushed over to them and stabbed the brute in the heart!
However, as he realised what he'd done, Sydney could see the horror on his face, although at that moment she couldn't allow either of them to fall apart, as they were still in great danger. Later on, however, as she saw Nigel just staring out of the hotel window, with tears in his eyes, she put her arms around him and held him tight.
"Nigel….thank you so much for what you did today…..you saved my life….and I'll never forget it."
"You're w…welcome Syd" he said, wiping his eyes with a tissue.
"Look Nigel…I know it's hard to come to terms with killing someone…..but if you hadn't….quite honestly…..I wouldn't be here today" she said, hugging him and patting his back, as they both blinked back the tears.
"I know…um Syd…I do" he replied, although he was still shaking from the shock of what he'd done.
About six weeks after they returned from New Orleans Cate Hemphill contacted Sydney as she needed someone with her knowledge of relics to assist her with a sting operation. Nigel was very uneasy about the whole thing as Cate had told him some frightening stories about the criminals she'd set up in the past. He looked at Sydney with a very worried expression on his face.
"Syd…please don't do it!...Interpol are not just involved in putting pickpockets in jail.…they go after really tough criminals who..…who wouldn't think twice about killing you!"
"I'll be fine Nigel…..I'll be wearing a wire….so Cate will be able to hear everything that's going on.…look all I'm going to do is set a trap for a thief who constantly steals relics…so it'll be easy" she said, smiling at him and feeling quite touched by his concern.
"A wire's not a bulletproof vest Syd!...Don't you understand how dangerous this will be!" he said, getting quite agitated.
"Nigel I'm a martial arts expert…I can protect myself" she replied, wondering why he was getting so upset.
"What would you say if she asked me to help her with this?" Nigel asked, quite seriously.
"Is that why you're so upset…because she didn't ask you?" she said, hoping she was wrong, because she thought he was over Cate.
"No of course it's not…I just don't want you to get hurt…she knows I'd be useless anyway" he said, really believing this was how Cate felt about him.
"She wouldn't think you were useless Nigel…she just wouldn't want to put you in danger…..well…..not unless you worked out a bit more" she said, hoping he would understand that Cate needed someone who not only knew a lot about antiquities but who could also kick butt!
"Yes…Yes…I guess you're right….but I still don't think you should do it!" he said, trying hard to convince her, as he was truly worried for her safety.
Sydney put her arm around his shoulder "I'll be back before you know it" she said, as she picked up her jacket and suddenly looked deep in thought "by the way…I'd lock you in your room before I'd let you go on a mission with Cate!" However, before he could reply, she left the office and his heart sank, as there was simply nothing he could do to stop her.
Once Sydney was in New York, where the sting operation was to take place, Cate fixed a wire to her and then gave her a box containing a valuable Faberge Egg to use as bait for the thief. Unfortunately though, while Sydney was in the process trapping the criminal, she was abducted!
Cate almost immediately realised that Sydney hadn't actually been taken by the thief they'd set up, as she could tell, by the way Sydney spoke, that she'd actually recognised her abductor! Sadly though, before the beautiful relic hunter was able to verbally identify him, or her, she was knocked unconscious and taken away.
Cate felt terrible about what had happened, because Sydney had trusted her, although the abduction was a big shock to everyone and couldn't have been prevented. Cate, however, being an Agent, hoped that by getting a list of Sydney's enemies, she'd be able to work out who might have taken her.
Naturally, Cate believed that the only people who could supply her with that list, was Nigel and Claudia. That being the case, she took an Interpol helicopter to Trinity in the hope of discovering who the perpetrator was.
Nigel felt very awkward as Cate walked into the office, but he tried not to show it. He immediately told her how uneasy he'd been, right from the start, about Sydney being used in such a way by Interpol. However, Cate was quick to point out that the abduction had nothing to do with the sting operation and that someone else must have known Sydney was in New York; someone who she'd recognised.
Nigel acted very professionally and immediately got down to business, explaining that he'd do anything he could to assist in finding Syd's abductor. With that in mind, he and Claudia gave Cate the names of as many of Sydney's adversaries as they could think of. They then systematically went through them and eliminated the names of people who were dead or in prison and then later, those who Interpol discovered were nowhere near New York. Gradually, as the agents provided more information about Sydney's enemies, the list became shorter.
As the process was so long and exhausting, Claudia went out to buy some food, which gave Nigel and Cate the opportunity to speak privately.
"I've missed you…Cate."
"So why didn't you call me then?" she asked, secretly suspecting he was hiding something, and that that secret was why he'd never asked her to go to bed with him.
"I don't know…I guess our relationship…if you can call it that…which I don't….well…it's never been….well….normal!...Just look at the way we met in Peru when both of us were pretending to be someone else" he said out loud for the first time, as these were the thoughts that had gone through his mind since he believed Cate had dumped him!
"Look…Nigel….is there….is there anything romantic going on between you and Sydney?" she asked, not being able to keep her suspicions about him inside any longer.
"No…no…nothing like that…our relationship is strictly platonic!"
Cate could see in his eyes that he had feelings for Sydney, although she really wasn't sure if he thought of her as a sister or a potential girlfriend.
When Claudia came back in, of course, they immediately continued looking for a suspect and eventually came up with the name, Edward Patel, who was the leader of the Cult of Kali! Interpol had discovered that he had an address in New York and then Claudia, realising it could be him, looked up the Cult, in a book, and got quite a shock. To everyone's surprise she told them that something unusual was about to happen to the sun which would make New York, and that particular day, the ideal place to carry out a human sacrifice! That was enough to convince everyone that Sydney was most likely being held captive at Patel's home!
Realising speed was of the essence, Cate found room for Nigel on the helicopter and they were in New York in just over an hour. Having then landed really close to Patel's address, they heard some transmissions, over the wire, which confirmed Sydney was actually inside! The Interpol agents, and a team of heavily armed police, swiftly stormed the premises and rushed to the basement, where they hoped they weren't too late!
Cate and Nigel nervously followed them and discovered, to their relief, that Sydney was fine and that she'd already knocked out Patel! Nigel was so happy to see her and it was very obvious that she was overjoyed to see him too. They hugged each other for a couple of seconds, while Cate watched them closely. It was at that moment that the beautiful Interpol Agent realised that Sydney and Nigel's relationship really was platonic, as they hugged like brother and sister.
A week later Cate set up the sting operation again and, on that occasion, Sydney was able to trap the criminal. Nigel, of course, stayed with Cate the entire time, so that he could listen in on what Sydney was saying to the villain, and ensure that he was there when she came back.
Once the mission was complete and Sydney was safe, Nigel began to feel slightly better about Cate. In his eyes she actually seemed to have softened a little and had even begun to show an interest in him again. That being the case, he plucked up the courage to ask her out again "we could um…start afresh….properly this time" Nigel said, realising he'd been kidding himself if he thought he was over her.
"Actually Nigel….that would be great" Cate said, quite happily as she was now convinced that Sydney and Nigel really were just good friends.
"So um….where would you like to go for a wonderful day out?.…You can choose anywhere...no matter how much it costs!"
"Anywhere!?...Well actually.…if you really mean it….there's one place I'd love to go with you….and that's Six Flags amusement park in Springfield….what do you say we go there tomorrow Nigel?...It'll be brilliant fun going on the roller-coasters and all the rides….don't you think?" she said, not realising that Nigel could really afford to take her somewhere very expensive!
"Oh….you'd um….prefer that to um…Antigua…or Barbados then?" he joked.
"Oh very funny Nigel…but look…..I've already been around the world and I've even done the tourist thing in this area….I just want some good clean fun with you…that's all!"
Nigel was very surprised as he'd no idea Cate liked amusement parks. He remembered, however, seeing a flyer on Claudia's desk advertising Six Flag's latest terrifying ride, along with many other attractions at the park. He'd only ever been to a fun fair when he was little, which was nothing like Six Flags and he didn't go on anything except the Ghost Train! He did rather enjoy hearing about Sydney's visits to Disneyland though, so he couldn't help but wish they could go there instead. It certainly sounded a lot less scary than Six Flags, although it was a bit too far away for a day trip.
"Um, I'm not sure whether I'd be able to go on any of the rides Cate….so it might be a waste of time….are you um….sure you wouldn't rather have a cruise down the Charles River…or um…..see a movie and then have dinner somewhere really nice instead?"
"Oh Nigel….you said anywhere and I really want to go to Six Flags….it's Saturday tomorrow…so you're not working and I love theme parks" she said, with a pleading look on her face.
Nigel looked at her face and thought, how bad could it be; although that fact was it could be really bad for him! However, he wanted to please her and she definitely wasn't hiding how excited she was at the prospect of going Six Flags.
"Alright Cate…..I'll go…but I need to warn you….I…um…. get dizzy and sick on anything that spins or goes too high….I've suffered with that since I was two years old!"
"Oh Nigel….you'll be fine.….it'll do you good…. and it'll be a great adventure!" she said, not really believing that Nigel would have any problem as an adult, after all, he was a relic hunter! Nigel then recalled that, when he was a boy, Preston had said something similar when he forced him go on the school trip, to the Lake District. That trip, just as he'd predicted, ended badly for him and he still had the scars to prove it!
Cate picked Nigel up really early the following morning and they drove to the park; stopping three times on the way for Nigel to go to the bathroom, as he was feeling so nervous! When they got there he purchased two tickets and Cate immediately wanted to go on the biggest roller-coaster they had. She dragged Nigel to the end of the queue and was happy to note there would only be a ten minute wait.
"I don't want to go on this Cate…it's too high…..you go and I'll watch you from down here" he said, actually shaking with fear but noticing Cate was giving him an annoyed look as he tried to walk away.
"Get back here Nigel!" she shouted, her voice sounding very sharp, like Sydney's when she was cross with him. He came back quite quickly and looked at the ground.
"Nigel….you know I want to ride this with you….and I know you can be brave…..you've nothing to fear anyway…as you'll be strapped in….it might even help you get over your fear of heights….come on….it'll be such fun."
Nigel looked up at the huge ride and she held his hand, ignoring the fact that it was shaking and that he'd turned as white as a sheet.
"O…OK" he said, wondering what she'd think of him if he didn't.
They were soon boarding the ride and with his heart almost in his mouth, they were off! It went so fast it took Nigel's breath away, especially when it dropped, twisted and then went upside down! By the time it was over he could hardly stand, and he immediately threw up! He looked just awful as he sat on the ground and tried to clear his head.
"I'm so sorry Cate….but…but I did tell you I'd probably be ill" he said, looking very embarrassed and hoping she wouldn't think he was a wuss!
"I'm sorry too Nigel….I shouldn't have made you go on it…..I guess not everyone is physically equipped to ride roller-coaters" she said, feeling quite sorry for him…."do you feel like trying something else?"
"Yes….but nothing like that please Cate….something a bit calmer would be OK" he said, wondering what they had in the park that would fit that description.
"Let's go on the cup and saucer ride" she said "that's not too rough.….it's just over there" she said, pointing to the ride which had just stopped.
Luckily there was no queue, so they walked over and immediately sat inside a large teacup. Nigel had never seen a ride like this before and had no idea what was about to happen. However, as soon as all the cups were occupied the ride started up and the teacup began to spin really fast! Nigel started to feel sick again almost immediately, and instantly recalled that, when he was a small child, the roundabout at the local park affected him the same way!
He was green by the time it stopped, but he managed to get off and stagger over to a grassy area, where he vomited again and passed out! This time Cate shouted for help and within a few minutes the park nurse arrived and put some smelling salts under Nigel's nose to bring him round. He soon felt much better, although the nurse was adamant that he shouldn't go on anymore rides.
Realising the nurse was right, Cate felt quite ashamed that she'd forced him to come, especially when he'd specifically told her he couldn't tolerate certain things.
"Nigel…let me drive you home….it was selfish of me to drag you here" Cate said, helping him up off the grass.
"Oh no Cate I'll be fine….I've noticed lots of things in the park that I think I'd enjoy….so um… as long as you don't ask me to go on anymore rides…I'd like to stay for a while" he said, mainly because he didn't want her to think he was a complete wimp!
"Well Nigel…if you're sure….I'd like to see some of the shows…they look like they'll be good" she said, feeling quite delighted that he wanted to stay.
They enjoyed the rest of the day as it was lovely weather and they got to see some amazing shows on the various stages throughout the park. Some of comedy shows made Nigel laugh so much, his sides began to ache and the musicals made him feel really happy, as he and Cate sang along to the well-known show tunes.
Even though Nigel had hated the rides, it was very obvious, to Cate, that he loved everything else about the park as she'd never seen him laugh so much.
As she sat there waiting for the next show to start, she began to notice just how handsome Nigel was, although she also thought he seemed very innocent as well. Of course, she'd assumed, all along, that he was just a baby faced 30 year old, which was why she'd believed that he and Sydney might have been an item. However, it was his job as an experienced relic hunter that really made her think he was older.
As the evening progressed, Nigel just happened to mentioned that theme parks like this were something new to him and that, even though they have them in England, he'd never been to one. When Cate heard that, it occurred to her that he'd probably missed out on quite a few things when he was a child; although she thought that was because his family were poor! Of course, he'd no idea she was thinking that, so he didn't explain that his family were actually wealthy.
Feeling the need to make amends for bringing him there, Cate decided that what Nigel really needed to help him relax was a few days at the beach. Therefore, bearing in mind this was supposed to be a fresh start for them, she suggested that they drive to Revere beach and stay for a couple of nights. Nigel was delighted; although he wasn't sure he could get time off work at such short notice. However, when he checked with Sydney she was fine about it; until he revealed he was going away with Cate!
"Nigel….not again!" Sydney said, feeling quite concerned "look….be careful….and don't go rushing into things with her this time…remember she's a lot older and a lot tougher than you….and I don't want to see you with a broken heart again….so take it a bit slower…OK?"
"Sydney you worry about me too much…..I'm a lot stronger than you think…..anyway she won't break my heart again….she likes me too much…..otherwise she'd never have asked me to go away with her" he said, feeling rather pleased with himself.
"Alright Nigel….I hope you know what you're doing….have a wonderful time….and bring me back something nice…..oh and put on plenty of sun block too!" she said, trying to make light of the situation.
Sydney simply couldn't help but worry, as she realised that if anything went wrong between him and Cate again, he'd be totally devastated. Of course, she realised too that Nigel was a young man and that his private life was really none of her business. However, as he was still very shy and naive, she always felt protective of him, especially as he fell in love so easily.
When Cate and Nigel reached the beach they booked into a beautiful hotel. They'd gotten separate rooms as Cate realised that Nigel wasn't quite ready to sleep with her, just yet; although she'd no idea why. She considered it must be shyness and or his upbringing that made him behave so gentlemanly; although she believed that he'd soon come knocking at her door!
On that first evening they sat looking out of the large hotel window, which overlooked the Atlantic Ocean.
"Are you missing England and your family Nigel?" Cate asked, as she noticed a very faraway look on his face as he stared at the sea.
"Yes I suppose I am a bit…..sitting here reminds me of when my brother and I went to Brighton with our parents.….I was only six…but I remember it clearly….we stayed at a hotel on the seafront which was very similar to this…..I remember looking out the window with my mum….it was pouring with rain and I wanted to kick my football around…..but she wouldn't let me because I had a cold….so we just sat there laughing at people running for shelter…and children splashing in the puddles…..before it started raining though….my dad took my older brother fishing at the end of the pier….God…you should have seen them when they came back…..they looked like drowned rats!…..But they were very happy because they'd caught a fish….my brother though….whose a bit of an arse…tried to put it down my shirt...yuk….I can smell it now!...I remember mum got so cross because she had to bathe and change me again before dinner."
He smiled at Cate, who was hanging on his every word, and then he looked out of the window again "that was 1985….and it seems like just like yesterday."
It was then that he realised he was telling her about his family; something he so rarely talked about, even with Sydney. He was beginning to feel very relaxed and was about to put his arm around Cate's shoulder, when suddenly she gave him a very odd look.
"Nigel…how….how old are you?" hoping she'd misheard him say he was six in 1985.
"I was twenty three a couple of weeks ago" he said, wondering why she was suddenly asking that, as she'd never mentioned his age before.
"What!...So you really are as young as you look!" she said with a horrified look on her face "I feel like a cradle snatcher!"
"Cate you know I'm younger than you…..but we get along fine….don't we!?" he said, looking into her eyes as his heart began beating really fast.
"Nigel….I'm nine years older than you! I had no idea you were such a young man!...I just thought you looked young for your age" she said, wondering what Sydney must be thinking of her dating Nigel and realising now why the professor had no interest in him as a boyfriend!
"So does this mean you're dumping me?" Nigel asked, with a pained expression on his face, as his heart began to sink.
"Oh Nigel…don't be upset…I'm sure it'll be no time at all until you find the perfect girl for you….you're such a special young man….please don't hate me….I really thought you were older" she said, as she noticed the tears pooling up in his eyes "I'm so sorry Nigel….I'll drive you home in the morning."
She tried to brush the hair out of his eyes but he pushed her away "I thought you cared about me!"
"I do care about you Nigel…..that's why I'm ending it now…before we…..we fall in love!" she said, feeling just terrible as she ran to her room, obviously as upset as Nigel, who immediately called Sydney.
"Syd…Syd….you were right….I should have listened to you and taken it slower" he said, trying not to sob.
"Oh Nigel….I'm so sorry….are you alright?" she asked, wishing she'd spoken to Cate about Nigel a long time ago.
"I'll be OK Syd….I guess I'm just not the kind of man she wants" he said, allowing a couple of tears to fall down his cheeks.
"Do you want me to come and collect you….I could be there in a couple of hours?"
"No Syd…..I'll try to get a bus in the morning….I don't want to keep you up half the night….you have work tomorrow….um….if I can't get a bus…Cate said she'll drive me home" he said, thinking how difficult that long journey would be under the circumstances.
"OK….but Nigel….if you can't get a bus tomorrow…..and you don't want to come back with Cate….Mark Lane lives about ten miles away from where you are and I'm sure he won't mind driving you home…..we have a meeting set up next week anyway…..we're going to decide what to do with the Mochica vessel….but I'm sure he'll have no problem bringing the meeting forward…..look…I'll ring him now and call you back" she said, keeping her fingers crossed that Mark would be home.
"Thanks Syd….I'll speak to you in a little while" he said, putting the phone down. Ten minutes later she rang back and told him to be ready at 7.00 a.m. when Mark would collect him from the hotel. He felt so relieved that he was going to be spared the long drive home with Cate!
Before he left the hotel, however, he wrote a goodbye note to Cate, which he pushed underneath the door, wishing as he did it, that he'd listened to his boss.
PLEASE REVIEW: I would really appreciate it if anyone who likes my story would let me know, particularly as I have revised this chapter in 2018, along with the rest of the story).
In the last chapter Nigel meets up with Preston again and tells Sydney about his past.