Chapter Three
Elizabeth looked at her phone again. It was the third time in as many minutes. He wasn't going to call. She shook her head in frustration and stood up, looking around her studio. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a teenager- something she hadn't done even when she'd been one. If Julie could see her now, she'd probably laugh herself silly.
She didn't even know why she'd been so sure that Nathan would call her today. It wasn't as they'd agreed that they would get in touch within the week and truth be told she hadn't given him too much thought until it occurred to her that morning that he had said something about keeping in touch and it was now almost a week since they'd had lunch together.
It was almost as if her brain had decided that he was meant to call her today and refused to move on from that point. She supposed that she could take the initiative and call him but she didn't want to. She wanted him to call her.
A call from Julie reminding her about some errands that they had to run in town galvanized her into action and she carried LJ who was already fast asleep in his carry bag and hurried to the car.
000
Nathan almost pressed the call icon next to Elizabeth's name but for the third time he stopped himself before the call could go through.
What was wrong with him? It wasn't as if calling her meant a lifetime commitment or anything even close to that. It would be just a simple phone call between tentative friends, and most likely she would even be too busy to talk for more than five minutes.
So why was he overthinking things?
He'd made himself wait for a whole week before even thinking of getting in touch and it had been harder than he had thought; yet it wasn't like he had anything to tell her but that the fact that he could call her for no reason at all was enough to make smile like a crazy person.
He remembered the first time he'd seen her; he'd found her in the second floor corridor of the sciences building looking for Jack's office. Nathan had thought she was one of Jack's postgrad students; and he'd walked with her to the office – he'd been on his way to see Jack as well. Jack had told them about the woman he'd been dating, and they'd been happy for him, because Nathan couldn't remember seeing his friend that happy. Gabe and Nathan had teased him about the mystery woman who was taking up all his free time and Jack had laughed telling them that he couldn't wait until they also fell in love like he had.
When they reached the office, Jack had looked up quickly from what he'd been working on and kissed Elizabeth and introduced her as his girlfriend.
From that time Nathan had been so careful not to be alone with Elizabeth and kept his conversations with her short and to the point that Jack had once joked that he didn't know why Nathan didn't really like Elizabeth but that he was sure he would love her when he got to know her better. Nathan had nodded and quickly changed the subject and he'd become even more determined in his efforts to keep away from Elizabeth, because he would not let his passing feelings get in the way of his friend's happiness and he hadn't.
But now he could do something about his feelings and he was angry and sad that he reason he could finally act like himself around Elizabeth was because someone they'd both loved was dead.
The thought that he was the worst friend who'd ever lived was the real reason why he'd put calling off Elizabeth for week. It had taken a talking-to from Colleen for him to even think about picking up his phone to call Elizabeth.
Colleen was Nathan's older sister; older by less than a year, and she was married to a very nice man called Earl and they were expecting their first child in three months. Colleen often came by his house to bring him dinner, she always told him that their parents who lived halfway around the world would expect nothing less from her. Colleen knew her brother well and she'd been able to get to the root of the problem within half an hour of her arrival. She'd sensibly pointed out to him that it wasn't his fault that he'd been drawn to Elizabeth from the first time he'd met her and commended him on his actions, i.e. keeping away from his friend's girl but now, things had changed and they could have a shot at having something wonderful if Elizabeth felt the same way as he did. But, and Colleen had been very firm at this point, nothing would ever happen if Nathan continued hiding. He needed to be part of the game in order to get a shot at winning. Nathan had taken Colleen's advice to heart; she was right, he wouldn't get a thing if he didn't try and he had decided there and then that he would call her in the morning.
He stared at the screen again and put away his phone.
000
"You want my paintings to be part of the exhibition?" Elizabeth asked Henry Gowen, the gallery owner in some surprise.
"Yes," Henry replied, smiling, "your pieces are very good and as you're aware they always get sold. So I figured instead of waiting for you to bring in a few pieces time and again, you would have an exhibition. And, Elizabeth, my dear, you are not going to be part of the exhibition. It is going to be your exhibition."
"I don't believe it," Elizabeth said, "Surely you have better artists on the books, most of whom have never had solo shows."
"If I told how many collectors have seen your works in their friends' offices or homes and want to own originals you wouldn't believe it," Henry told her, "so I won't even tell you, all I can say is that in three months I expect every available space in this room to be filled with your wonderful paintings."
"Three months?" Elizabeth laughed in shock, "Henry, you can't be serious."
"But I am," he insisted, "I know you haven't been working, with Jack's death and all, but you forget that I do know that you have at least half a dozen half-finished paintings that require only a little work to make them masterpieces and now that you're motivated you'll whip up a dozen more in no time."
"Motivated?"
"Which artist doesn't dream of having a solo show?" Henry asked, "and you, Elizabeth, are way past due."
Elizabeth stared at Henry; she had forgotten about the half-finished canvases and Henry was right as usual, she had always dreamed of having a solo show and she had quite a few ideas bouncing around in her mind already.
000
Julie passed LJ back to Elizabeth and picked up a pot of miniature cactus. "This will do nicely for the Franklins' garden, don't you think?"
The three Thatcher sisters had started a landscaping business together a few years ago; Violet had quite the green thumb while Julie could pick the perfect plants for any space. Elizabeth had been the designer and artist picturing the finished product until it had become quite clear to them that she was better suited as an artist painting landscapes.
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed, "it will fit in beautifully with all the other plants you've chosen."
000
Nathan entered Flo's, a garden centre, and looked around at the plants, he had promised to get Colleen a potted gardenia and a potted geranium, she had asked him to get him some as she'd been leaving his home the night before.
He stopped short when he saw Elizabeth talking to her sister Julie.
"Nathan, hi," Julie greeted him smiling, "I haven't seen you in ages, how are you?"
"Fine," Nathan replied. "How are you Elizabeth, and how's the little guy?"
He moved towards them and reached over to touch LJ's cheek; the boy turned to him and reaching out fastened his fingers around Nathan's finger, without thinking about it Nathan made a silly face and LJ continued staring at him fascinated.
"What do you think of these?" Julie asked Elizabeth. She had moved further away from them and was looking at the jade plant. "Are they just not perfect?"
Elizabeth made a move to walk towards her sister and realised that LJ was still holding Nathan's finger. Nathan noticed it too and he said, "I can carry him while you pick out the plants."
"I couldn't ask you to do that," Elizabeth replied immediately, "you came here to get some plants of your own."
"You're not asking me, I'm offering."
Elizabeth handed over LJ to Nathan and watched as her son moved easily into his arms without not so much as murmur and then she joined her sister.
Nathan began to hum softly to LJ as he walked around the garden centre.
000
"He's really good with LJ, isn't he?" Julie asked. She had noticed that Elizabeth's gaze kept drifting away from the plants to her son and the man who was holding him.
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed, looking at them.
"I must say that I'm glad you're finally reaching out to Jack's friends," Julie told her.
"I admit that I was quite unwilling to see them at first," Elizabeth said, "that part of my life was over but when I went to the university last week I saw Nathan and I don't know," she shrugged, "I think we might become friends."
"That's good."
Julie drew Elizabeth's attention back to the plants and they selected the ones they knew would improve the Franklins' grounds.
000
Nathan carried the geraniums and gardenias into Colleen's kitchen. His sister was sitting at the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands.
"Six potted plants?" she told him. "You really went all out this time, and different colours too."
"If you must know, I had some help."
"Florence is such a dear," Colleen said, "and somehow she knew exactly what I wanted."
"It wasn't Florence," he told her.
"Oh?"
"I run into Elizabeth and her sister Julie at Flo's."
"And?" Colleen looked at her brother in excitement.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"I saw LJ," Nathan said, "he's grown so much, I guess he takes after Jack."
"He must be quite a beautiful child," she said. "And?"
"We're getting lunch tomorrow."
"Lunch again?"
"I'm working my way to dinner."
"You are," Colleen agreed laughing. "You're working your way to dinner very slowly."
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