Chapter 35
- May 2009 -
"Is that what you are going to wear?" Nathalie asked, with a raised eyebrow, standing at the bottom of the staircase.
"Yeah… I was…" Avery looked down at her black skirt and baby blue sweater set and didn't see what was wrong with her outfit. Clearly it didn't pass the Nathalie test, as she looked up and watched her shake her head.
"Sweetie, we are having brunch at the country club… not going to the old folk's home to knit with granny. You can wear something that makes you look alive," Nathalie smiled warmly.
"Okay… I guess I'll change then…" Avery shrugged and headed back upstairs.
"What about that yellow sundress? The eyelet sleeveless one? It looks really cute on you…" Nathalie offered her suggestion as Avery slipped out of sight. What Avery had grown to understand was Nathalie's suggestions, weren't really suggestions at all. If Avery went downstairs in anything other then the yellow sundress now, there would be an argument and Avery would be left feeling like crap again. It was easier to just put on the yellow sundress… even if she hated it.
Avery quickly changed then headed back downstairs.
"Oh, you look lovely! The colour makes your skin glow," Nathalie hugged her when she got to the bottom.
"I feel like a Stepford wife," Avery commented dryly.
"Well, there are worse ways to feel," Nathalie warned her, as she reached into the closet and dug out an appropriate jacket, passing one on to Avery as well.
"Are the girls coming too?" Avery asked hopefully, looking around for the usual scampering of feet.
"Nope, it's just us," Nathalie smiled to her. "Mario took the kids to the rink. It's a great chance for you to meet some of the nice gentlemen at the country club."
"Oh my God, Nathalie! Tell me you are not setting me up on a date!" Avery pleaded.
"I am just introducing you…" Nathalie smiled and adjusted Avery's jacket collar. "Ready to go?"
"Um, yeah… opps, I forgot my purse upstairs. I will just run and grab it and meet you out at the car," Avery assured her and took off up the stairs. Nathalie headed outside, pulling the door behind her.
Avery grabbed her purse off her dresser and dumped it into a different one, a small Louis Vuitton handbag in the classic brown pattern. It went with her new outfit better. She slung it over her shoulder and took a look at herself in the mirror. She definitely looked like she belonged at a country club, all pastel and pearls, every last strand of hair perfectly tucked into place. It was far from her first time at the country club but this time she felt like she was on display. Nathalie had made finding Avery an appropriate match her newest project, dragging her to cocktail parties, charity functions and introducing her to sons of her prominent friends. Brunch at the country club had match maker written all over it. Avery couldn't help but think that if this was the look that the guys she was being matched with wanted, maybe she would choose to stay single for awhile…
Avery headed back downstairs and leaned against the wall as she slipped her shoes on. She heard the side door open and felt bad for making Nathalie wait for her. "Nat, I am sorry… I couldn't decide on shoes…" Avery called out down the hall to the kitchen. "I was just heading out now!"
Avery looked down the hall, waiting for Nathalie to emerge but instead Sid stepped into view. Avery felt her heart stop, as he stood there is one of his best suits. The material fell perfectly over his broad shoulders and he was wearing a tie that she had picked out for him. She knew the last thing she should be feeling is any sort of feelings except hatred and remorse for the man at the end of the hall, but she couldn't help it. She could still remember what the good times were like and wished they could just go back in time, to before things got so complicated. But she couldn't. And she needed to accept that. Sidney Crosby had to be out of her life for good now. Forever.
"Um… I think Nathalie is still waiting out front for you…" He offered, slowly taking a couple steps towards her. "That's a really pretty dress. Is it new?"
Avery just continued to stare at him. Her heart beat increased in speed with every step he took closer to her. 'No!' She commanded herself, shaking her head. 'You are supposed to be mad at him. Remember what he did! Remember what Nathalie said!' "You aren't supposed to talk to me." Was all she could think to say.
"Come on Avery, it's been weeks…" Sid raised his hands out to her. "We can be civil to each other. You don't need to pretend I don't exist."
"I have to go," Avery took a step backwards towards the door but couldn't stop starring at him. There was a time that if she had five minutes alone with him, even in the hallway, she would be in his arms, their lips pressed together. She had felt safe and loved and now… now she felt like crying. Avery reached behind her and felt around for the doorknob and wrapped her hand around it, fumbling to turn it and escape from this awkward situation.
"Avery…" Sid stepped into the entranceway from the hall. He was now to close for comfort. Avery could smell his cologne and knew she had to get out.
"No!" Avery instructed him, putting her finger up, as if that had the power to stop him from moving any further if he really wanted to. Her hand shook but her resolve remained rock strong. She had promised Nathalie that there would be no more drama and she was going to make that the truth. "I have to go. Nathalie is waiting."
Sid just nodded and watched as Avery turned sharply and headed out the door. Avery practically ran to the car and slipped into the passenger seat beside Nathalie.
"What took you so long?" Nathalie asked, putting the vehicle into drive.
"Decisions, decisions…" Avery forced a smile with a shrug and held up her purse. Nathalie just shook her head and smiled.
-.-
"Oh Charles, darling, over here!" Nathalie called across the veranda of the country club. A young man wearing a white Lacoste Polo shirt waved and headed for their table. He wasn't exactly bad looking with shaggy dirty blonde hair and blue eyes much like her own. He had the build of a tennis player, very fit but more lean then muscular. Avery could tell how girls would find him attractive but he just wasn't her type. She certainly didn't want to date anyone prettier then herself.
"Now Avery, Charles is the youngest junior partner in his law firm, he comes from a very good family," Nathalie described him in a hushed tone as he got closer to the house.
"I thought you said you weren't setting me up?" Avery asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not," Nathalie insisted innocently, as Charles approached. "Just a chance encounter…"
"Nathalie, so good to see you! My mother said to say thank-you for the donation if I saw you," Charles greeted Nathalie with a hand shake and the obligatory double cheek kiss.
"Oh, it was our pleasure! Such a good cause and such good work your mother does," Nathalie offered. "Say Charles, have you met my god-daughter Avery?"
"No, I don't believe I have," Charles looked at Avery and gave her the once over, head to toe. "I think I would remember."
"Well, why don't you join us for a bite to eat?" Nathalie offered, waving to an empty seat beside Avery.
"I wouldn't want to impose… and I was just heading out. Just here for a quick match," Charles spun the tennis racket looped around his wrist.
"Of course, we wouldn't want to keep you. How about dinner? You and your parents? At our place? Maybe you two could get to know each other? I bet you have loads in common," Nathalie continued. Avery adjusted her napkin in her lap uncomfortably.
"I dunno… does she talk?" Charles asked Nathalie quietly with a concerned smile.
Nathalie laughed and shot Avery a threatening look. "Of course she talks. Right Avery?"
"I'm sorry, I guess I didn't realize I had to bark on command," Avery offered sweetly but the distaste for the situation was evident in her voice and forced smile.
"Avery!" Nathalie gasped.
"I'm sorry…" Avery shook her head and looked down in shame. Despite what she had promised Nathalie, she still had a hard time adjusting to being on her 'best behaviour'.
"Maybe you could just give us a minute?" Charles asked Nathalie but didn't take his eyes of Avery. Nathalie nodded with exasperation and walked away from the table, greeting someone else she knew at the club.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - " Avery began again as she watched Nathalie walk away.
"No, don't apologize! That was great!" Charles laughed and smiled down to where Avery was sitting. "May I?" he asked, indicating to the now empty chair to Avery's right. Avery nodded and watched as Charles took his seat. "I can appreciate honesty. I understand what its like to be on a constant set-up, my mother is the queen of the set-up. Sometimes I can't even tell I'm walking into them. But for the most part you begin to smell them a mile away."
Avery looked up and smiled. "I am sorry. I am. I shouldn't have snapped. I am sure you are a great guy but…"
"But you don't know me," Charles cut her off. "What I have also learnt about set-ups, is that they never end. So when the person isn't immediately awful, you should jump on the opportunity. So if it's alright with you, I would like to accept this dinner invitation and maybe get to know you. After that, if you decide I'm a douche, you should be safe from the next set-up for awhile."
"That's how it works?" Avery asked, with the first genuine smile of the day.
"Absolutely," Charles chuckled knowingly.
"Well, if for no other reason then to have Nathalie back off, then I guess I could agree to dinner," Avery conceded.
"Now that's the spirit!" Charles laughed, covering her hand with his. He was fairly attractive, Avery noted, as he signaled for Nathalie to return to the table.
"So dinner?" Nathalie asked eagerly, as she returned. Avery nodded and Nathalie clapped her hands together in delight. "How's Thursday work for you Charles?"
"Thursday is good for me, " Charles agreed.
"This Thursday?" Avery blurted out. "There is a game this Thursday…"
"It doesn't matter," Nathalie snapped at her.
"Are you sure? I can imagine playoffs are fairly important in your family," Charles confirmed.
"Nope, Thursday is perfect. Mario isn't traveling with the team, so everyone will be home. You'll confirm with your parents?" Nathalie smiled at Charles but shot a warning glare at Avery.
"I will. I'm sure it will be fine," Charles stood up from the table and gave Nathalie a half hug. "Sounds like I will see you guys on Thursday. Till then." He offered, as he headed off.
"Well then, shall we enjoy our lunch?" She returned to her seat and smiled, as if nothing had just happened.
-.-
Thursday came around quickly. It wasn't hard. During the playoffs, time seemed to slip by almost too quickly. Everyone was usually a little on edge and after last year's playoffs, the tension was palpable. Mario, Nathalie and the kids went to all the home games thus far but Avery stayed home. Avery had been trying not to pay attention to the team and their current success but it was hard to ignore. The team seemed to be on a fairytale streak. They had sneaked into the playoffs with a winning streak coming late in the season, as Sid's point production really picked up as if out of nowhere. Everyone was saying the new coach seemed to have lit a fire under the players asses and now there were really competing, like the Stanley Cup runners up they were last year.
This particular Thursday the team was playing Game 5 against the Capitals in Washington. Avery was sure it was killing Mario to be having dinner guests and not watching the game but he never argued with Nathalie about it. The series was tied 2-2, so at least it wasn't an elimination game. If it had been, it would have been a completely different story.
Nathalie was on a mission. She had sent Avery to have her hair done early in the day in preparation of dinner and had picked out an appropriate outfit. Now she sat in the living room with Austin, who was grumpy because he wanted to be watching the game, instead he was waiting for their guests to arrive. The girls had all been put to work in some other room, either setting the table, getting the appetizers ready or polishing the last of the silverware. Avery had been instructed to sit and not mess up her manicure. She had argued that they weren't inviting a prince to dinner, he was just a guy and she doubted that he cared about a potential chipped nail but Nathalie wasn't willing to hear it.
"You just sit and don't argue," Nathalie had snapped at her when she had tried to help pull down a serving platter from the pantry.
Avery perked up when she heard the doorbell ring, not because she was excited for dinner but more so excited to have the day almost over. She heard Nathalie's voice greet her guests and wished she could hide under the couch. She also knew that Austin would totally rat her out if she tried. 'Maybe I could bribe him…' Avery thought to herself and considered her options, knowing that this place was probably the last place Austin wanted to be as well and she could probably use that to her advantage.
"Come in, come in," Nathalie swooned, as she led the guests into the living room. Avery stood and greeted Charles and his parents with her best fake diplomatic smile. Nathalie pursed her lips and glared at Austin who was slumping back into the couch cushions and didn't look like he had any intention of being civilized. "Dinner should be ready shortly but please have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."
Charles parents, Edward and Prudence, took seats around the large coffee table in front of the fire place.
"You have such a beautiful home, Nathalie," Prudence offered.
"Oh, you're too kind. I have been meaning to do some redecorating. This room seems to be a little outdated," Nathalie responded the way she always did, brushing off the complement with a self-depreciating statement. That's just the way you do things.
"I have the number of an absolutely fabulous designer. I will find you her number. She did wonders on Martha Kaminski's home," Prudence offered.
Avery sat with a fake smile plastered on her face and listened to the women exchange design gossip about other women in their circles that had done renovations. Mario emerged from his office and greeted Edward and the two of them instantly began discussing business. Charles smiled at Avery from his place across the room before standing and moving over to where she was sitting.
"So this is how it goes?" Avery asked, as he sat beside her.
Charles nodded. "Next they will discuss the uncharacteristic weather we are having…"
"Oh joy…" Avery stated dryly. Avery looked over at Austin who seemed to be examining something that he picked out of his nose and shook her head in disgust. The poor kid didn't deserve to be tortured because she couldn't pick an appropriate date for herself.
"Psst…" Avery gestured to him. "Hey buddy, if you go downstairs until dinner, I'll cover for you… just keep the TV low…"
"Really?" Austin all but jumped off the couch. Avery nodded and watched as Austin disappeared out of the room, without Nathalie noticing.
"That was nice of you…" Charles laughed quietly.
"Yeah well… I'm pretty nice…" Avery shrugged.
"Just nice?" Charles asked. "When I was in elementary, we weren't allowed to describe people as nice, because nice is the most boring way to describe people and it started being more like an insult then a compliment. I am pretty sure I could come up with better describing words for you."
Avery could feel her cheeks beginning to turn red. This guy was smooth. "You just met me. You should probably stick with nice, until at least after dinner."
Charles laughed out loud and Avery saw Nathalie look over at them before exchanging looks of excitement with Charles' mother. Avery was pretty sure that Nathalie was giving herself a mental pat on the back, already seeing wedding bells and picket fences in the future.