NOTE FROM WRITERS: The Natalie in this chapter is NOT Prime Minister David's Natalie but a different Natalie. (This character was inspired by Natalie Portman).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Downed an entire bottle of Advil and Alprazolam is what she did," Peter said in a hushed voice the next morning. He was still in bed and was talking on the phone to his best friend, Mark as he watched Juliet sleep. "....No, I don't know what's gotten into her. She's been different ever since the wedding but I assumed it was all of the excitement, you know?........She hasn't been anywhere but your place, did she say anything to you while she was there? Did you two have a fight? I know you two don't get along but--.........that's all you did? All you did was show her a video tape and she's this upset? I'd like to see that video tape Mark, would you mind bringing it over?.....Oh that's fine it doesn't matter, I'd just like to see what Juliet saw that troubled her........Thank you, Mark. See you then." He hung up and got out of bed carefully so he wouldn't wake Juliet. She looked so perfect as she slept, laying on her side facing him with a strand of her blonde hair strewn across her face.

Peter got dressed and put some tea on. Mark was to arrive in a half an hour. When Mark did arrive he was jumpy and appeared nervous.

"Come in Mark," Peter said, letting Mark in. "Are you alright, you seem anxious?"
"Anxious? No. Too much coffee this morning is all," Mark said, fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket.
"Well here, mate. Pass the tape over," Peter said leading Mark to the couch. Mark handed the video tape to Peter and Peter put it in the VCR.
"Oh... this is beautiful," Peter said as he watched footage from the wedding. "Just gorgeous. Doesn't she look gorgeous, Mark?"
Peter's expression changed as the video progressed. Every shot was of Juliet All this time Peter had assumed that Mark didn't like Juliet. The tape proved just how wrong he had been. "You..." Peter started.
"Good morning, Mark I didn't know you were stopping by." Juliet's voice came from behind them and both Mark and Peter turned around.
"I..I'd better be going," Mark said taking the tape out of the VCR.
"Yes...we'll talk about this later Mark," Peter said leading Mark to the door.
"Talk about what later?" Juliet asked.
"Thanks for coming over," Peter said. Mark left and Peter shut the door behind him. Then he turned to Juliet.
"Good morning darling," he said to her.
She was sitting on the couch now. She put her head into her hands.
"You're ignoring me now?" Peter asked sitting next to her.
"No," she replied, her voice muffled by her hands.
"Look at me, Jules." He put his hands on hers and pulled them away from her face. She was crying. "If something's wrong and you aren't happy, you need to tell me. Okay?"
She didn't look at him. Hot tears began to fill her eyes again.
"No...no, don't cry, tell me what's wrong. Is it Mark? And his video?" Peter said.
"No. It's not Mark. It's not you, it's not anything I just..." Juliet began, "I need some air. I'm going to take a walk, I should be home around noon."
"I don't know if I like the idea of you going out alone after what happened last night," Peter told her.
"I wasn't myself last night, I'm alright now. And if I'm not back by noon you can send the police after me," she joked.
Peter forced a smile. "Alright darling, I'll see you then," He said kissing her. She grabbed her jacket and left the house.

Not sure of where she intended to go, she set off walking. As she walked thoughts of Peter and Mark began to consume her and she walked faster as if trying to escape them. She was breathing quickly and felt the walls of her own mind closing in on her. Shutting her eyes tight, she inhaled deeply, held it for a couple of seconds and slowly exhaled. 'Get a grip Jules, get a grip...' she told herself. She'd stopped walking and was standing in front of a coffee shop. 'Sit down, get a cup of coffee, and you'll be okay,' she thought as she entered the coffee shop. She chose a table next to the window and took off her jacket. Juliet looked around at the coffee shop and its customers. It was a cozy place, not too big, decorated with black and white pictures of old coffee plantations. There was a middle-aged man in a red and grey plaid shirt at the table to her left reading a newspaper. Sitting at the table in front of Juliet was a woman Juliet assumed to be in her twenties wearing a baby blue sweater. She was reading a book and her face was partially covered by her slightly wavy chestnut brown hair. At the table next to the woman with the book was another woman holding a small baby in her arms. Juliet felt scared and somewhat claustrophobic imagining what it would be like having Peter's baby and living the rest of her life with him. Juliet's eyes drifted from the woman and with baby back to the woman in the blue sweater. She was looking at Juliet too but when she saw Juliet look at her she immediately looked down and glued her eyes to the pages of her book. Juliet looked away as well, resting her eyes on the cars driving by outside the coffee shop window. She began to zone out as she watched each car zip by but was shaken out of her daydream by someone's voice:

"Excuse me." It was the woman in the baby blue sweater, her face fully visible now. She had warm brown eyes and a beautiful smile. Juliet had never seen anyone so beautiful.
"Is anyone joining you?"
"N-no," Juliet stuttered, startled by the woman's glowing appearance.
"May I?" The woman asked politely. Juliet just stared at her. "...join you that is..." the woman continued, "Oh God, I fluffed that. Do you mind if I join you is what I mean."
"No, I don't mind," Juliet replied. The woman smiled again. "It's just that I saw you sitting alone, and I was alone, and I'd really rather have someone to talk to over coffee than have no one to talk to and I thought maybe you'd rather have someone to talk to as well," she said, "Oh God, and now I'm already talking your ear off. Let me get my things."
The woman turned with her back to Juliet and went back to her table to pick up her book, purse and coffee. Juliet watched her. The woman's sweater was tight fitting and so was the skirt she was wearing causing her curves to be heavily accentuated. She turned and walked back to Juliet's table putting down her things. KEEPING YOU A SECRET, the women's book read. The woman caught Juliet looking at the book and quickly put it down on the floor next to her purse.
"I'm sorry," the woman began, "I've been so rude I've forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Natalie."
"Oh, it's fine. I'm Juliet," Juliet said.
"Juliet, nice to meet you,"
"And you as well,"
"Well, well," Natalie said catching a glimpse of Juliet's wedding ring. "That's quite a ring you've got there, you're married?"
"Yes," Juliet answered, forcing a smile.
"Just married last week,"
"Congratulations! But you look so young, how old are you?"
"Twenty. Yes, I suppose that is quite young," Juliet agreed.
"I'm twenty-five myself and haven't found myself a significant other!" Juliet found that hard to believe. Natalie was so gorgeous, how could she be single?
"What?" Juliet exclaimed, "That's absurd, men should be hanging all over you!" Immediately realizing what she had just said, Juliet corrected herself: "I mean, you're a very lovely lady, I'm sorry that came out kind of forward,"
"It's alright," Natalie explained, "It sounds a lot more sincere coming from a woman. All men care about is appearance. To them women are just objects, play toys almost."

Juliet and Natalie talked and laughed together for a while and Juliet was feeling really comfortable with her. Natalie was extremely friendly and she knew exactly how to make Juliet laugh. Every problem that had been bothering her for the last few days slipped her mind as she talked to Natalie. Something about her was comforting, maybe it was her eyes, maybe it was the way she talked or maybe it was everything about her.

"Oh man, it's nearly noon, I have to get home or Peter will have a search party out looking for me," Juliet said catching sight of her watch.
"Your husband?" Natalie presumed.
Juliet hesitated before answering. "Yes," she said finally.
"Well you wouldn't want to keep him waiting," Natalie said.

They stood up and left the coffee shop together agreeing to have coffee together the next day at the same time they did this time.

"How did you get here?" Natalie asked.
"I walked."
"Well let me give you a ride home then,"
"Oh, no it's fine it's only a couple of blocks,"
"No it's my pleasure, my cars around back,"