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Chapter 5
John and Natalie agreed to be friends; neither of them felt they were ready for anything more than Friendship at this point in their lives. John had just left Natalie's apartment and was headed back to his Mom and Bo's place when he got in his car, started the engine but didn't leave. He stood there; he sat there in the car for a few minutes. He shook his head and turned off the car, he got out of it and ran back up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. He knocked on her door and was surprised to here her voice so close to it.
Natalie was still standing with her back to her door after she escorted him out of it, they had agreed to be friends, how could they be anything more, he was only going to be in town for less than two weeks now and she knew with the way his kiss made her feel that she was only headed towards a broken heart. She heard a knock on her door and she knew it was him; she slowly opened it as soon as she heard the knock. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her and started kissing her, he pushed her back into the middle of the apartment and they urgently ran their hands up and down each other's bodies. Finally after a few minutes they parted, they looked into each others eye's and then John headed out of the door again, no words were spoken till John turned around before leaving the apartment completely.
"Pool tomorrow? Before your shift at Izzy's? Friends right?" John asked her still breathing a little heavy and she nodded her head yes with a smile.
The next couple of days went fast for John and Natalie; it was about three am when john again for the fourth night in a row watched her leave Izzy's Bar. He followed her home with his car like he had done the last couple of nights and when he parked his car she was out of hers waiting for him with a frown look on her face.
"What's a matter?"
"You don't mind if I skip out on our nightly talk tonight do you?"
"Why whets up?
"It's nothing really"
"Tell me, what is it?'"
"I'm ... I'm just getting a little impatient that's all, I wish it was time already, I wish Izzy would just ask already, I need this assignment over with, I need to get out of that place"
"What happened tonight that I didn't hear"?
"Nothing"
"Natalie, I know you're lying. Tell me"
"I'm just tired of being manhandled that's all, those sleazes with their hands on me constantly, Izzy with putting his whole arm down the opening in back of my shirt, the way he thinks it's so funny to unhook my bra in the back. I think I just need sleep." Natalie told him as she saw his face change; it went from serious to rage in a matter of a few seconds. She saw him get angry and clench his fist together.
"John, please, calm down"
"I've must go" John told her and he left, John drove to the Red Pelican and stopped the car in front. Everyone was gone and he was glad for that, cause with how he was feeling right now, if Izzy was there he might have been tempted to strangle the bastard with his bare hands, he was getting in to deep, much too deep with Natalie, they were suppose to be friends but what he felt went way passed caring for her as a friend. He drove back to Bo's apartment and went in to get some sleep.
The next morning came quick when John arrived at the police station to see Natalie already there, working at her desk. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of her desk.
"Are you feeling better this morning?"
"Yes, thanks, I'm not scheduled to work at Izzy's tonight so ya want to do something? Maybe a movie?" Natalie asked as John just looked away.
"What is it John?" she said as she saw he couldn't meet her eye's.
"Nothing, I'm just busy tonight with Michael"
"That's funny, I just saw him in the park, he says he's working all night? If you don't want to spend time with me be a man and say so, don't lie to me, I don't like people who lie to me" Natalie told him in a bit of a huff and she excused herself and went to get some files from the cabinet. By the time she was done at the filing cabinet, he was gone. She shook her head feeling sad and then she reminded herself that he would be leaving in less than a week.
John walked thru Angel Square disappointed in himself, disappointed cause he lied to her, she trusted him and he lied to her. He had wanted nothing more than to spend every waking moment and even every sleeping moment wit her but he couldn't. He was falling in love with her and he didn't know how to stop it. With every day that pasted he cared more and more about her, he never used the word love lightly but when he thought about her, about Natalie, he just felt it, the word, the feeling. He knew he had to try and keep his distance for the next week, he knew it, he could never be around her and just say or think friend again.
That night Michael had called and told John he was getting off earlier than planned, Marcie was scheduled to sing a few songs at Capricorn tonight and he asked John to join him. The two met up at Michael's house and went over to Capricorn. They walked in and John thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, he blinked several times but it was real, it was Natalie on the dance floor with some guy, the guy had his body up against hers and they were dancing to a slow song that the band was playing. John's heart started beating quickly, he felt like he couldn't breath, he watched for a few more minutes and then the man's hands went up and down Natalie's sides, Natalie pushed back from the guy just as John came in between them and punched the man straight in the nose.
"John, what the hell are you doing?" Natalie yelled at him as she helped Ron Walsh up off the floor.
"I'm so sorry Ron, I'm so sorry!" Natalie told Ron as Michael came over to look at Ron's nose, Michael plugged it wit his fingers and stopped the bleeding.
"John, are you crazy, this is Marcie's brother, what the hell is wrong with you?" Natalie again asked. John was silent for a few minutes when Michael took Ron into the bathroom to take a better look at his nose. Natalie grabbed John's arm and led him to the side of the bar.
"You can't just come in here and punch my date in the nose!"
"Your date? You have a date with that guy?"
"Yes, I have a date with him, not that it's any of your business, he's been asking me to come and see Marcie sing with him for awhile and when you decided you didn't want to hang out tonight, I figured what the hell."
"Maybe you can now explain to me what it is you want from me, why the hell you say one thing and your eye's and your body says another? What is it you want John?" Natalie asked him
"You! I want you, more than friends, more than lovers, forever type stuff, but I know it's not possible, we're friends, you've made that very clear."
" No John you've made that very clear." Natalie said and she walked over towards Michael and Ron as they came out of the men's room. Natalie apologized to Ron. Michael told her his nose wasn't broken but he needed to continue to put ice on it, Natalie helped to walk Ron outside so she could take him home, before they left the bar completely they walked past John, Natalie briefly looked up and into his eye's but then looked away to help Ron out to the car. John stood watching as she drove off with Ron; Michael came over to John with a smirk on his face.
"What Mikey? I'm not in the mood for games"
"Nothing, nothing really but...you seem to be acting like a jealous boyfriend or something when it comes to Natalie"
"We're friends Mikey, just friends, we're family too remember?"
"Alright John what ever you say, what ever you have to think to keep your distance, what ever gets you thru the night"
"Just shut up Mikey, shut up"
"A thank you might be nice I just saved your ass from a lawsuit, the only reason Ron isn't going to suing you is because I pointed out that he'd probably get to use this injured angle to his advantage with Natalie."
"What!" John said and Michael broke out in a laughing fit, Michael shook his head and walked away and went back inside to see Marcie sing, he waved to John knowing he wouldn't be coming back inside. John raced off in his car to her apartment.
John was standing outside her apartment for almost an hour waiting for her, his mind wondering if she was still with Ron Walsh and what they might be doing. Natalie approached her door and she saw him sitting on the floor up against it. He got up and looked at her.
"What took you so long?" John asked and Natalie slapped him across the face
