Haley stretched her arms and let out a little yawn.
"Tired much?" Brooke quipped.
"Just a little", Haley sighed. "Okay, I'm lying. Actually, I'm flipping exhausted! It's been a long day."
"Tell me about it", Brooke huffed in agreement.
"My feet hurt, my back is killing me and my head is pounding…I am a walking advertisement for a Bengay commercial", Haley half joked. "Gosh, I can't wait to get home, take a long, hot bath and then hit the sheets."
"Sounds like a plan and since your shift already ended and we're practically done cleaning up for the night, why don't you take off and get a head start?"
"It's okay, Brooke."
"You should go."
"I can't just leave you here. Who'll help you close?"
"All that's left really is to lock up and I've got that under control. Now go."
Haley bit her lip.
"Dude, are you sure?"
"Positive."
Haley smiled as she hugged her friend.
"Okay. Thanks, Brooke. You're the best!"
It was Brooke's turn to grin and shrug.
"I know. Now scram."
She watched as Haley removed her apron and reached for her keys and purse. Nathan emerged from the back office.
"Hales, you taking off?"
"Yeah. I'm really beat and everything is nearly finished anyway. Brooke said she'd cover for me."
"Oh."
"Did you need me for anything else?" Haley asked with her back turned.
Brooke winked and mouthed, gesturing wildly with her facial expressions, neck and hands. Nathan knew what his friend was getting at but he was still lost when it came to his role.
"Uh, um…no. I guess I'll see you later. Have, have a good night."
Haley smiled and waved at both of them upon her exit.
"Okay. Thanks. Good night, guys."
"Night", Brooke called out a she watched Nathan watching Haley.
He exhaled a frustrated, pent up breath, cursing as he snapped a dishtowel against the counter.
"I totally blew that one, huh?"
"Right out of the water", she smiled.
"Damn!"
"Nate, what are you so scared of?"
"I'm not scared."
"Then what is it? Tell me what's holding you back. Because at this rate, you two crazy kids will never get together."
"I don't know. Maybe it's not the right time…"
"When is it ever? It's the right time because you're crazy about that girl and you can't live without her. That should be all you need to know. What are you waiting for, some divine sign from the heavens?"
"Maybe", he quipped.
"I'm being serious. And for the record, the sign has already presented itself."
"Where the hell was I?"
Brooke smiled.
"Can't you see? It's all around you, Nate. It's Haley. It's how you feel when you're around her. It's how empty your life is without her. And it's all those precious years you guys both wasted because of fear or timing or waiting around for some stupid sign."
Nathan sighed. Damn, he hated when she was right.
"You sure it's not too soon after her divorce?" he asked.
"You're not proposing, you're just showing a little interest. Be her friend, spend time with her. Besides, I get the feeling she's ready to start moving on."
"Did she tell you that?"
"Not in so many words but a girl knows."
"Fine", he sighed. "Tell me what to do."
"Be yourself. Show her a good time. Talk but always offer an ear to listen as well. Be forward but not too pushy. Romance her."
"Those are a lot of instructions to remember."
"You'll be fine."
"I don't want to mess this up."
He was obviously nervous with his trembling hands and flushed cheeks. It was adorable.
"Nathan, what do you want from all of this?"
"Just Haley. I want to be with her."
"Okay. I am going to help you sweep this chick off her feet."
Nathan frowned.
"I don't know, Brooke…"
"What's the matter?"
"Look, I appreciate all your help but if you set up another one of those date nights, as fun and nice as it was, well…it just reminds me of the whole Daytona thing."
"Right. I get it. Yikes. Sore subject, eh, champ?"
"This doesn't have to be a gimmick or anything like that. I just want to be with Haley."
"Okay", Brooke clapped her hands. "I'm on it. I have been quietly observing your relationship ever since we all returned from the race. The good news is, you guys seem to be getting along better. All that awkward tension seems to have disappeared."
"Yeah. So what's the bad news?"
"Let's be a tad more positive and refer to it as the 'not so good' news. See, you guys both work like government mules, which means most of your interaction is here at work. That needs to change."
"How?"
"Hell, you're the boss' son, you tell me. I suggest you manipulate the schedule so you guys can have some of the same days off. Then just start hanging out. When your friendship was strongest, what kinds of things did you like to do together?"
Nathan thought.
"I don't know. Everything, I guess. We watched a lot of TV. And we went to the movies…black and white classics like King Kong and the original War Of The Worlds were her favorites. We'd play miniature gold and take long walks on the beach. At the docks we'd sit for hours and talk about nothing and everything at the same time."
It all sounded so sweet.
"You've got to get that back. Okay, next Wednesday in the biggest miracle since Moses and that whole Red Sea thing, you and Haley are both off. Now here's what's going to happen. Show up at her place with a nice bottle of wine and enough groceries to cook up one hell of a meal. Rent some movies you'll both enjoy and in between watching, talk. Talk about everything…old times, new times to come. Just chat. And right before the evening ends, put on some soft music and dance."
"Dance?" Nathan laughed out loud.
"Yeah."
"Dude, I am not a dancer. That will not be a pretty sight. Seriously. I was born with two left feet or something."
"You've got fancy feet on the basketball court."
"That's different."
"It's easy, Nate."
"For you maybe."
Brooke smiled.
"Never say never. I am going to teach you."
"What? That's stupid. Come on, Brooke."
"It'll be fun. Hold on."
She walked over to the jukebox and put in a few quarters. The sound of Abba's "Dancing Queen" began to play.
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Dancing Queen
"Are you joking? Brooke, I can't do this!"
"Yes, you can. It's fun. Now just relax and let your body feel the music. Then just move to the beat. Don't think about anything."
"I feel stupid."
"Why? You're Nathan Lee, top basketball player, racecar driver extraordinaire. You can do anything. Besides, it's not about other people and what they think. It's just you and the music."
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they play the right music, getting in the swing
You come in to look for a King
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance...
Rolling his eyes before he closed them, he did just what she said. It wasn't so bad once he got past the initial awkwardness and so far Brooke hadn't passed out from laughing.
"Thank God Skills and Luke aren't here. If they saw me dancing to Abba, I'd get the beat down of my life", he laughed.
Brooke shook her had.
"Who cares about them? Besides, you're pretty good."
You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Dancing Queen
He grinned and it was fun but Nathan was relieved when the song ended.
"Thanks, Brooke. You're a pretty cool broad."
She smiled as the next song came on. It was slow, an oldie but goodie, "I Only Have Eyes For You" by the Flamingos.
My love must be a kind of blind love
I can't see anyone but you
Sha bop sha bop
"And you're a pretty cool dude. Now may I have this dance, kind sir?" she mocked curtsied.
He pulled her close, wrapping both arms around her tiny waist as she raised her arms to circle around his neck. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other.
"I guess this isn't so bad", he observed.
"Told you. And by the way, you dance very nice."
"You lie nice", he chuckled softly.
"Do not. And you haven't stepped on my toes once so that's a good sign. I bet you've done this before. You're probably a pro. You just made all this up in order to get close to me", she joked.
"Nah. But not that dancing with you is a bad thing. Any guy would be lucky to be where I am right now."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah."
"Who knows? Maybe I'll have my turn to dance soon."
"Got your eye on anybody in particular?"
"Maybe", she played coy.
"Is it my brother?"
"How did you know?"
Nathan shrugged.
"I just do."
"How do you feel about that?"
"It's cool. I mean, it's your life."
"He's a good guy. We've been hanging out a lot lately. I'm taking it slow, though. But he is cool and maybe in the future something could happen."
"Cool", Nathan nodded. "But just be careful. I won't get in the middle or put in my two cents when it isn't wanted but Lucas is my brother and I know him. He is a good guy but he's really complex. There's a lot of scar tissue to dig through to get to that layer of goodness. You're a nice girl and you're my friend. I just don't want you to get hurt."
"Thanks, Nathan. He's been through a lot and so have I. I've got his number and it's gonna be okay. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can", he said softly.
Are the stars out tonight
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you dear
It was dark in Deb's Den as the two danced the night away in the center of the floor. It was a sweet, private moment shared between friends oblivious to the fact that a black pick up truck had pulled up to the curb. The door opened and the driver stepped out. He smelled of expensive aftershave as he kept a firm grip on the bouquet of red roses he had bought earlier. Taking a deep breath, he nervously walked to the door. As anticipated, it was locked so he searched for his key. He had hoped she'd still be there and by the sound of the music he heard, his assumptions were right. He peered inside and saw her but his smile quickly faded when he noticed she was not alone. She was nestled in another man's arms, swaying to the slow song. And she looked happy. Lucas' heart sank. Then his sadness turned to jealous rage as he saw for the first time the man she was with. It was none other than his own little brother.
Lucas shook his head. How dare she? How dare he? How dare they? She had said she wasn't ready. Had that been a calculated lie? Or was he just looking for an excuse to let him down gently? Whatever it was, she didn't want him and that not only hurt his ego, it hurt his heart.
And Nathan. Lucas scoffed. Damn him! Was this a way to get revenge for that whole Haley thing so many years before? Even so, Nathan, the saintly prince would never admit it. He'd act all innocent and say that things "just happened".
Lucas was furious! For once he'd made an honest effort to change. He'd worked at being a better brother to Nathan, a man good enough for Brooke, and a decent human being altogether. And what for? For nothing! He seethed with envy as she smiled shyly and rested her head against his broad shoulder. That was it. No more trying to be something he wasn't or never could be. And no more Mr. Nice Guy! He'd been betrayed by two people he genuinely cared about but what else was new?
Closing the door unnoticed, he made his way back to his truck. He cranked it, destination, the nearest bar open he could fine. He made a call to Tim to tell him to join him and when that was done, one task remained. Opening the window, he threw the flowers on the street and he sped away.
Inside, two friends were oblivious. They hadn't witnessed what had just happened. They held each other and danced, their minds smiling as they concentrated on their true hearts' desires.
The moon may be high
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you
I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you