I'm Not Your Husband!
I appreciate the feedback I've gotten, but I'm not sure there's a real interest for this ficton here. Should I continue posting this story? Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Chapter 5
Early the next morning, Nathan was dressed and waiting for Haley. "Hales!" He cried, drawing her into a bear hug after opening the door to let her inside. "I could kiss you."
She dropped to the ground in fitted black jeans and a yellow JL Sport midriff tee with "Show Me Your High Score" across it in black letters. Tilting head she grinned up at him. "Hey, I'm not stopping you." She closed her eyes and puckered up.
Nathan ignored the invitation. "Jennifer called me last night." He didn't even try to contain his joy: he felt like skipping and dancing.
"Jennifer called?" Haley sounded surprised.
"Yes. It was right after you left. She wanted to thank me for those statistics on soccer cleats. But the important thing is she asked if I was alone, like it mattered to her."
"If you were alone?" Haley repeated and scowled.
"How is that important?"
"Don't you get it?" For all Haley's intelligence and street smarts, Nathan thought she could be really dense sometimes. "She wanted to know if you were with me. Jennifer's jealous, she just doesn't realize it yet...Hales, I can't remember being these happy in years, not since college."
"Because Jenn called you about some stupid soccer cleat article?"
"Don't sound so doubtful. It's the "in" I have been waiting for all these months. She finally noticed me thanks to you Haley." He beamed.
"Thanks, but no thanks." She mumbled to herself; looking much less than thrilled.
"It's so amazing" He continued. " I don't think I got any sleep last night. There was something in her tone I've never heard before. I don't know how to explain it. For the first time in years, Jenn knows I exist!" He gushed.
"Are we going to the promotion or not?" Haley insisted coldly. "Damn it Nathan, I can't believe you've gone all rainbows and unicorns over a stupid phone call."
"But this wasn't just any call," He reminded her, drinking down the rest of his coffee. "It was from Jennifer."
"You sound like a thirteen year old with a crush on her favorite musician." Haley frowned, but Nate wasn't about to let her short temper ruin his mood. He was sure Jennifer's call was the beginning of a real relationship. Next she'll mention sharing lunch and then...They left his house and walked to the driveway, Nathan smirking all the way.
Parked outside the garage was a sparkly green Jeep Commander with over-sized tires and pink, purple and yellow flowers painted to form a peace sign over the hood. He would have sworn the make was Hot Wheels, if it didn't actually have an engine and gas tank. It was typical Haley.
"This is your Jeep?" biting his lip to hold back his laughter.
" Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, but I'll drive my car." He offered, clicking the garage door opener on his keys.
Haley reached around him and hit the button again, closing it back.
"Nope. If you get mad at me I won't have a way home." She argued." I'm driving."
Nathan threw his hands up, turning to face the short woman.
"I'm not riding in that. It looks like we carjacked Barbie!"
"It's cute!" Haley defended with a pout as she went around to the driver's side, Nathan on her trail.
"Yea, for a bunch of pre-schoolers or the Power Puff Girls."
He held the door for the lady and went around and got into the brightly colored auto despite his dispute. He was too happy to even let this clown car bring him down. He snapped his seat belt and placed his stuff in the back seat cluttered with All Hale Change pens, notepads, binders and highlighters. It was going to be a beautiful day.
"Would you stop smiling your ass off? You look like one of those guys on an erectile dysfunction medication commercial." Haley groused.
"Are you crabby this morning?"
"Which mall, Nathan?" She asked starting engine.
"Regency Square Mall."
Once the promotion started, both Haley and Nathan were too busy to talk. Nathan watch her flirt, charm and sweetly coerce sales on a variety of his games, each time letting the purchaser know they could meet the creator and even have him sign their merchandise. Boys waited in line to challenge her to a game of tennis, hockey or mini-golf at the kiosk setting up for contest. She was really great with people. Nathan couldn't help but admire that.
Close to noon, Haley returned from the restroom and decided to spend the rest of her time with Nathan. She sat down on a bench with three girls that looked about twelve, waiting for him to finish explaining some secrets to his baseball game to some college guys. After they left, she rose only to be cut off by the girls, with hateful looks.
"Back off lady, we saw him first!" They warned. Great she was about to get jumped by some tweens.
By noon, Nathan could see Haley was about to unravel or maybe it was because someone had grabbed her ass for the fourth time.
"That's it!" Haley handed a stack of games to Alyson, Nathan's division's vice president and stalked towards the parking lot, her friend running to keep up.
"Thanks for helping out this morning, Haley. I didn't think the turn out would be so big. You were a trooper." He offered sweetly melting some of the ice she was emitting.
"How about some lunch?" She suggested. "Let go someplace far away from here, New Zealand maybe?"
Nate chuckled and placed his hand in the small of her back. "That sounds like a great idea, Hales."
Outside, the traffic was terrible. They noticed several cars circling the lot looking for a parking space and tow of them rushed to fill the one Haley vacated. They nearly collided in front of them over their eagerness. One woman leapt out of her vehicle and shot the other driver a finger.
"So much for enjoying your weekend." Haley commented," shopping really brings out the worst in some people."
"And the best," Nathan reminded.
"I would rather stay home and buy stuff off the Internet." She grumbled, a truck cut in front of her and Haley slammed on the horn. "Where should we go eat?"
They were barely moving in the Back-To-School traffic..
Nathan looked at her with a gentle smile. "Any place is cool with me.There's plenty of excellent restaurants nearby. You chose and I'll treat."
"We'll talk about who pays later? Right now I'm worried about getting out of this bumper-to-bumper jam before my road rage kicks in."
Nathan grew pale for a moment, rechecking his seat belt.
Haley giggled. "I'm just kidding."
He nodded, laughing too. "I don't think it will take much longer."
"Me either." Her eyes held his for what seemed like forever- until the jerk behind her honked the horn irritably. Haley glanced up and saw the traffic ahead of them had started to move. She immediately stepped on the gas.
Nathan didn't know what Haley had found so fascinating about his appearance, unless it was his unruly hair. His faded cut was starting to grow back and it was in that baby bird stage where there was no need to comb it.
"What's the matter? Do I have something on my face?" He asked feeling self-conscious.
"Why would you think anything was wrong?"
"It's the way you were staring at me a minute ago."
"Oh, that." She said easing into a restaurant parking lot.
"I don't think I've ever completely appreciated how handsome you are." She answered in a casual matter-of-a-fact voice.
Nathan blushed, turning away. "I'm just an average guy. I wonder sometimes if I were better looking if Jennifer would have given me the time of day sooner."
"Trust me, blue eyes." She said, cutting the engine and removing her seat belt. "You're handsome enough."
"For what?"
"For this," She leaned across the seat and captured his mouth with hers.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," Nathan whispered, slowly licking his lips in an effort to pull himself back to reality.
As far as kisses go, Haley's were good, downright delicious. She kissed better than any one he'd ever kissed. But the fact was, he was in love with Jennifer.
"You're right. " She muttered, shoving the door open with more force than needed and waited as Nathan strode around the Jeep to help her out. "Why do I keep doing that?" She questioned herself more than him.
Nathan frowned, vex by her odd mood. One minutes she diving into his arms and kissing him passionately, the next she was grouchy and curt.
"I'm hungry." She barked, as he lifted her down to the pavement. Sometimes, I do crazy things when I haven't eaten."
"That explains it." The next time he went anywhere with Haley James, he would make sure she was full first.
The pair split up to go wash their hands in the crowded restaurant. Haley got back first and reserved their spot.
After Nathan found out there was going to be a thirty minute wait, he sifted through the bills in his wallet with great interest.
"What are you looking for?"
He turned to her long enough to give a look that questioned her intelligence and slipped the hostess a twenty.
"Clearly, if you're irrational when your blood sugar is low, you might do something stupid while we're waiting. Honestly, you embarrass me enough, Hales."
Their names were called and the hostess led them to the dinning hall before she could argue.
A batch of breadstick sat on the table. Nathan handed her one. "Eat." He instructed. "Before you're overcome with craziness again."
"You mean before I kiss you again." She said in a low voice leaning close to him.
He drew back quickly, not giving her a chance of following through on that. "Exactly, or before you freak dance with the waiter or any of the other loony things you do."
"Freak dance?" She scrunched her face before relaxing it again. "Tell the truth, I've been good all morning."
"Did you forget the little slip up in the car?" He reminded her, lifting her breadstick filled hand close to her mouth. "Now eat."
Before Haley had a chance to take a bit, the waiter approached with two menus. "Mr. and Mrs. Scott, are you ready to order?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Scott." Nathan stammered under his breath, fuming at Haley. He should have known he couldn't trust her.
"Excuse me." Nathan said, sat up abruptly and shaking a finger at his date. "My name is Scott, her name is James." He explained patiently. He was not going to let Haley continue this game. "We're just friends here for lunch. "His narrowed eyes caught Haley's.
She looked as innocent as a chubby toddler. She shrugged as if she had no part in the misunderstanding.
"I see." The waiter apologized." I'm sorry for the confusion."
"No problem." Nathan didn't want to make a big issue out of this, but he didn't want Haley to think she was going to get away with it, either.
The middle aged man took their drink orders. Haley whispered something to him before adding an ice tea to the order. He cast Nathan a sympathetic glance. Haley's own eyes resting momentarily on him before the waiter went away.
"All right, what did you say to him?" He hissed.
The menu seemed to command her total commitment. "What makes you think I said anything?"
"Haley! I heard you whispering and then he starts looking at me like I was holding Bambi's mom when she died!"
"You got me."
"Haley, don't play games with me." Nathan warned.
"Fine, if you must know,... I told him you suffered a head injury and have developed premature Alzheimer's."
"Alzheimer's!" He repeated loudly enough to attract the attention of the diners at the next table. Grinding his teeth, Nathan snatched up his menu, gripping it so tightly the edges bended. It didn't do any good to argue with Haley. The woman was impossible. Every time he tried to reason with her, she did something to make him regret it.
"How else was I suppose to explain that you'd forgotten our marriage. " She asked reasonably.
"I didn't forget our marriage." He informed her form between clenched teeth, reviewing the menu and quickly making a selection. "Good Lord, it wasn't even real."
He then realized the waiter had returned, placed their drinks on the table and was now waiting with pen in hand. The man's ready smile faded as he looked from Nathan to Haley and back again. His mouth tight as he suspected there was more to their story and it involved something illegal.
"Uh…" Nathan ditched, feeling like even more of an idiot. The urge to explain was overwhelming, but every time he tried, he only made matters worst. "I'll have a turkey on rye." He said, shooting daggers across the table at Haley.
"That sounds good. I'll have the same." She said, closing her menu.
The man scribbled down their order, then hurried away, pausing to glance over his shoulder as if he wanted to be able to identify them later in a police lineup.
"Look! See what you did." Nathan whispered hotly once the water was far enough away from their table not to overhear.
Maybe he was being unreasonable but Haley was the one who had started this nonsense. No one could rattle him as much as she did, and worse he let her get to him every time.
Letting her tag along at the promotion was a prime example, and the Chinese food had lead up to it. No man in his right mind should've have let Haley into his home after what she had said in front of Marvin. He needed his head examined!
"What's wrong?" Haley asked, tearing into her breadstick. That was rather pointless now, Nathan thought. Lunch would be there any minute.
"What's wrong?" He cried, dumbfounded that he had to ask. "You mean other than the waiter believing I have a memory altering disease or that I'm a criminal, something equally pathetic."
"Here." She handed him one of the miniature bread sticks. "Eat this and you'll feel better."
Nathan seriously doubted that, but he took it anyway, cursing under his breath.
"Relax." She urged.
"Relax." He mocked. "How can I possible relax when you're doing and saying things I find excruciatingly humiliating? "
"I'm sorry, Nate. I really am." To her credit, she did look remorseful. "But you're so easy to freak out and I can't seem to stop myself."
Their sandwiches arrived, plump with turkey and Swiss cheese. Nathan was reluctant to admit how much better he felt after he had eaten. Haley's spirits had apparently approved, as well.
"So." She said her hands rubbing her toned belly. "What do you have planned for the rest of the afternoon?"
Nathan hadn't given it much thought. "I guess I'll go home and gather some more of that information for Jennifer. But that prospect didn't particularly excite him. After his adventures with Haley, it wasn't any wonder.
"It's perfect outside, sunny and comfortable. What's the point of having the day off?" Haley asked."Doesn't that take all the fun out of it? What a waste."
He grinned, trying to imagine himself scramble to put the information together on Monday morning. That was definitely not his style.
"Want to hang out at my house?" She suggested out of the blue. "I have a feeling you spend too much time at home.
"Your house?" Nathan ignored the comment about his social life, mainly because she was right. He rarely hung out with anyone including Marvin when work wasn't included. "I don't know."
"For God's sakes! I'm not going to bury you under the floor boards, Nathan!" Haley huffed at his hesitation. "I like hanging out with you and there's tons of stuff to do at my place. I thought we could have a good time."
"You have to promise no funny stuff."
"Yes, Sir.' She saluted before reaching before her purse while speaking and removing her wallet.
"What are you doing now?" He sorted through the bills and withdrew a twenty.' It's my turn and I insist on paying."
He hesitated when he saw deepening scowl. "Or real women don't allow men to buy them lunch?"
"Sure, go ahead." She said flippantly.
It was all Nathan could do not to gloat. He guessed that his gesture in paying for their meal would somehow be compromising to her liberated pride.
Apparently, he was right. As they were walking toward the cashier, Haley stepped up her pace, grabbed the check from his hand and slapped some money on the counter. She glared at him as if she expected a drawn-out public argument. After the ruckus they'd already caused in the restaurant, Nathan was damned if he was going to let that happen.
"Haley." He argued the minute they were out the door. "What was that all about?"
"Fine, you win. Call me a feminist, but when I ask a man to lunch I pay, no matter how old fashioned he is."
"But this isn't a real date. We're only friends, and even that's…"
"I don't give a damn. Let's just consider it an apology for the embarrassment I caused you earlier."
Arm around his bicep, Haley led the way to the car and then her home. They rode in silence to the most affluent area of Jacksonville. Nathan had a few friends that lived in this area, but his visits were few and far between.
Finally, they arrived at a private drive way. Nathan wasn't expecting it to take ten minutes to reach the home, well mini-mansion and luxurious estate. The thing was as big as the Kennedy Compound.
Getting out of the car in awe, Nathan gazed up at the dark brick abode. "You do not live here."
Haley walked around slapping him on the chest. "Yes, I do and I worked damn hard to get it."
"I didn't mean…" He was feeling like a heel.
Haley put her hand. "You know how big my family is, this place is crowded around the holidays and Taylor keeps finding me, so I may need to add on." She scoffed. "Besides, you wouldn't believe what companies are willing to pay me to fix their mess and keep their companies running smoothly, seriously."
Nathan stretched his arms out wide in the cobblestone drop off. "And it bought you all this?"
"I think the patents for the four business software programs almost every business in this country uses now that I created my senior year of college and the settlement for the copyright infringement from Microsoft helped." She said confidently.
Nathan was impressed and swelling with pride. "Way to go, Hales." He rubbed her back.
Quickly, she bounced forward, keeping eye contact with him. "I didn't come here to show off, Nate." She said modestly. "Let's have some fun."
She raced up the steps to the front door with Nathan right behind her. A gentleman several inches taller than Nathan and muscles bulging through his white polo shirt and black slacks greeted the pair.
"Welcome home, Ms. James." The green-eyed man smiled genuinely before glowering at Nathan and trying to shut the door on her guest.
"Mitch! Mr. Scott is coming in too." She scolded and he dropped his head like a little boy.
"Sorry, Ma'am."
"That's alright." She giggled. "Mitch this is Nathan Scott. Nathan meet Mitch Daniels."
Nathan held his hand out, but the butler didn't shake it. He folded his baseball bat sized arms and nodded. "Nathan."
"I'll be right back." Haley bounced out of the foyer and down one of the three hallways, clueless to the tension.
When she returned fifteen minutes later, both men were standing in the same spot.
Nathan noticed she was now wearing a simple blue bikini top and denim cut offs and a khaki vest over it. Her left arm was loaded down with two fishing poles and a picnic basket.
She threw Nathan a fishing cap and some sunscreen. Shaking her keys, she led him toward the backyard.
"I guess we're going fishing?" He asked looking down at the huge man-made lake from the window of her sunroom. She led the way, out the patio door and down the dozens of steps, stopping at a pier with several water toys.
"Let's jet ski!" Haley squealed.
Nathan was cautious, but conceded. He ended up having a great time.
Next, the used the big swan shaped paddle boat, but Nathan complained about doing all the work since Haley's legs were so short.
Once they got back to shore, Haley went into a small utility shed and returned with fishing pools and lure. They didn't catch anything, but it was fun none the less. They talked about everything and nothing at all. Haley cracked lame jokes and Nathan blushed at her forwardness.
Bored with fishing, Haley posed a canoe ride.
"You'll get to see the view from the middle of the lake, Nathan. It's so picturesque." She said practically glowing.
He couldn't deny her and joined her in the shaky boat. Nathan rowed while Haley sang and ate grapes from the picnic basket.
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down…."
"Not that again," Nathan groaned." Sing something else."
She cocked her head to the side for a minute before her eyes lit up and she burst into son again.
Black socks they never get dirty
The longer you wear them the blacker the get
Some day I think I shall wash them
But something keeps telling me don't do it yet
Not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet
Nathan chuckled, watching her pull the cool grapes off the vine. His mouth was salivating.
"Give me some." He stretched his arm to emphasis he was busy rowing.
Haley leaned forward, placing the sweet fruit in his mouth and he chomped down on a half a dozen with a moan of satisfaction.
"Mmmm, that taste good."
The girl couldn't stop herself and tasted his lips. He had just been too inviting. Taking her tongue back and grinning from ear to ear, she returned to her position.
"Very good!"
Silence filled the air as Nathan continued to row. He wasn't angry, just enjoying the serenity of the landscape and the pleasure of her company. Suddenly, she leaned over the side of the boat and pointed.
"Look, there's an otter!"
With the same childlike fascination, Nathan jumped to feet causing the boat to rock. He dropped the oars. Haley dove to one side, tried beat the paddle to the water and Nathan went the other way. Unfortunately, their weight wasn't evenly distributed and he fell out of the boat.
Haley rushed to the side, waiting for him to surface. When he did it was close to the side of the canoe and he bumped his head, leaving a big knot. She couldn't get him in the boat, so she dove into the water and tried to drag him to shore.
Luckily, one of the groundsmen saw their predicament and took the speed boat out and picked them up. After making sure his injury was minor, Haley left Nathan to change into one of the many pair of shorts and tee shirts his company had given her to check out and survey for the sportswear department.
It was getting dark by the time Nathan returned. Smells of chicken, steak and burgers was coming from the grill on the deck. Another male employee was manning the barbecue and pointed to Haley on the far end of the oval deck. There was a large hammock between two soft lit citronella torches.
As he grew close, he could see Haley lying there in a yellow cotton sundress. Her naturally curly hair was loose and blowing around her make up free face when he caused the hammock to dip and take his weight. Lying beside her, he felt her body shiver as she sniffed. Turning on his side, he focused on her face, finding tears streaming down.
"Hales, why are you crying?"
"I was just having a girlie episode." She tried to brush it off sucking up her weeping.
Nathan's hands brushed her face. "What is it?" He coaxed gently. Seeing her sad bothered him a lot more than he cared to admit.
Finally, she twisted so their bodies were aligned. "You scared me. I'm so sorry you got hurt." She whispered through a few tears she couldn't fight off. "I bet you really hate me now." Her eyes dropped in shame for the bump on his forehead and she tried to lift herself, putting her weight on her arm." I'll take you home."
Nathan reached over, laying his arm on her and continuously sweeping his fingers up and over her elbow. "I'm fine, Haley. I had fun with you today, more than I had in a long time." He admitted.
Watching her eyes light up and her lips curve into a smile, his heart started beating like a jack hammer. The next thing he knew his face was moving closer and closer to hers and his could only focus on her mouth. He mind was telling him to stop, he loved Jennifer. But the only woman in his heart was Haley.
"I don't want to go home." He smirked before letting his mouth greet hers under a canopy of brightly shining stars. …..
Pamela
