As I park my car in the studio lot, I reach for my cell phone and dial Natalie's number. I know it's early, but I wanted to hear her voice.

"Hey, beautiful" I say when she answers the phone.

”Morning, sunshine” I say with a smile

"How's my girl today?" i ask smiling back

"Pretty good. Just finishing get ready for work. What are you doing up this early?"

“Oh, we're due in the studio... I just got here... I'm a couple of minutes early for a change"

" Oh. Well, good.. it'll save you a lecture from big brother.." giggling

"Yeah, I know... He chews my ear off... Anyway sweetie I gotta go... I'll see you tonight?"

"Yes, I can't wait. Be good, ok? "

"I can't promise but I'll try" I tease and hang up. I walk towards the main entrance and see Brian just pushing through the doors.

"Hey, bro" I call out with a big grin on my face

"Hey, Frack.. wait.. Wow, you're actually on time!"

"And you're still ugly, so what's new?" I playfully slap his arm

Giving him a look, then breaking out in a grin. "Nothing much... just enjoying life, buddy. Then, I wake up this morning and remember that I actually have a job to do.."

I smirk. "So, how did last night go? Hell, actually knowing you, you probably just did the lovey dovey stuff"

"No. Actually, Charlie, couldn't make it last night. So, I just ended up going out to the golf course ."

"Whoa, she blew you out? ... had to happen sooner or later" I tease

"No, it wasn't like that. She had already made plans with some friends from school. So, I just decided to do my own thing instead. Nothing wrong with that"

"I guess not... You've got no worries though man, all you gotta do is look at the girl and you can tell she's crazy about you... When's the wedding? That's if Natalie and I don't beat you down the aisle" I reply with a sly smile

"Not anytime soon, bud. Not anytime soon."

“Well, by the time you actually do propose to her, you'll be in a (walker) zimmer frame" I joke and step out of the way to avoid his slap and I walk straight into the door

"Oh..owww"

I burst laughing.. "Uh, there's a door there.."

I stick my tongue out and push the door open, but I don't realize Kevin is coming through the door with a bottle of water. The bottle gets knocked out of his hand and spills over his jeans. I try to hid my smile

"Shit!" as the water spilled all over my jeans.

"Hey, Kev... Ya wet ya pants?" AJ asked coming up behind me and Brian with a bemused smile on his face

"No, I didn't wet my pants " I reply in a sarcastic voice. Looking back up, "Clumsy ass here, opened the door when I was coming out and make me spill my water everywhere"

"Now, now, children play nice" I mock

"Oh, shut up" we all say in unison

"Ya'll just jealous, cause I still got my youth" i state and I end up tripping over a nearby wire

"Sonofabitch" I say

“ Right, Nick.. But at Least we can still walk”

"Is this what being in love is all about?" AJ asks innocently. Suddenly, he burst into this funky dance

"Nick and Natalie sitting in a tree...K I S S I N G..." he pauses when Kevin glares at him

"Oh, shut it Bone. At least I attract women"

"Oh, and I don't? Since when? Are you saying you're better than me?"

"Guys! Will you shut up already? We have got work to do... Now, get your butts into gear or get out"

“Yes sir” we reply hanging our heads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we wrap up for a late lunch break, I tap Nick and ask him if he wanted to grab a bite at Cafe Crossing.

"Sure, lets go" I say and we walk into the café

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I spot Natalie in a corner booth and wave over to her dragging two guys behind.

"Hey, girl" I greet giving her a quick hug. "I dunno if you remember Shane. I met him a few months ago and he goes to uni with me and this is Ross. Guys, this is my best friend, Natalie" I introduce.

"Hi. Nice to see you again, Shane. How are you?"

"Hiya, Natalie. I'm good, thank you. How are you? You're looking quite well"

"I'm doing pretty good, thanks. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we're queuing up for food, I turn to Brian. "What are you eating, dude?"

" Oh ...guess I'll have the southwest chicken panini"

"Ok. Grab us a table and I'll bring it over...Coke?"

"Yeah" turning to find a table away from most everyone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How's your day going then, hun?" I say stirring a black coffee

"She'll need another two of those" Shane tells Charlie's friend, Natalie. I laugh and gently ruffle Charlie's hair. "She was pretty out of it.. I'm impressed that she made it to class today"

" I didn't even hear you come in this morning. Well, it must have been a hell of a party. But, you really need to be drinking this" and hand her a bottle of water out of my purse

I take the water and sip it gratefully. "You should come some time... Ross has great dance moves" I tease playfully nudging him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I slide into the seat opposite Brian and push his food towards him. I've settle for a BLT... with all the trimmings.

"Food doesn't get much better than this" I say with my mouth half full. "Oh, excluding pizza of course"

"Can't forget that, now can we? " taking a bite of my sandwich. "Wow, this is actually really good"

"Man, I can't believe what a dumbass I was today. I mean, I walk into a door, spill water on Kev and then trip over a freaking wire. It just ain't my day"

"Apparently not, but it was rather amusing. " with a chuckle. "Just the look on Kevin's face, when you spilled his water... that was picturesque"

"Think I'll keep it quiet from Nat. I don't want her knowing she's dating a walking disaster"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yeah.. Oh really? Care to show?"

"How about another time and place. I could put you off eating. You should come out with us sometime though. Char could do with having some competition for our undivided attention" Ross declined

"Oh, like you don't enjoy it" Charlie replys with a smirk

" Well, maybe, next time I will and stir things up a bit" Turning to a nearby waiter and calling them over

The waiter nods to me, then starts walking over with his tray. Someone decides to get up from a nearby table, turns and bumps into the waiter, who loses his balance. Within seconds, a cold shower of water falls upon me. I scream and jump up quickly.

"Oh crap... Nat, are you ok?" I ask, as I grab some napkins and pass them to her

"Yeah, I'm fine.....just wet"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Right..." then I hear a woman scream from a couple tables behind us. I stood up to see what was going on, only to see Natalie standing up, with her clothes wet, trying to dry off. Then, I saw Charlie handing her some napkins. There were also two other guys sitting with them, trying to help. They must be some of her classmates or something. I was taken away from my thoughts, as Nick asked me a question.

"Yo Frick, what's happening? Anything interesting?

" Umm... yeah actually.. You're uh.. You're girlfriend just got all wet." chuckling

"Nah uh...Nat's at work" I say in disbelief but I still started to turn around. "What the hell?" I ask as I notice her with some guys and Charlie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"At least it was only water. Could have been worse.. you coulda had sauce spill on your shirt and then you'd have to go back to work wearing ya bra" Shane teases as Natalie begins to dry off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh damn" I whisper as I over hear them

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We could help out if you like" Ross says flashing Natalie a smile and getting a slap on the arm from Charlie. She also calls me a perv.

"I don't think so, guys. But thanks for the offer. I might have an extra jacket in the car, hopefully. That or I'll have to standing front of the hand dryer for a while, while my boss wonders where the hell I am"

"Oh, too bad" Shane says trying to act disappointed... "Charlie, you take your shirt off instead"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ok...that's enough of that conversation" Brian whispers..."I'm going over there"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's Tuesday...no shirt day is Thursday" Charlie replies with a smile

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh hell no. It better not be. She never told me about that..." Brian says getting a bit ruffled

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh hell.. You forgot about no panty day?" I tease

"Damn, I like this girl... Wanna join us at uni?" Ross suggests

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i could feel my stomach churning as i clenched my fists "oh she better not"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I think my pal Ross here has a crush on you"

" Well.. I'm flattered there Ross, but I actually have a boyfriend. I'm sorry"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Least she remembered me" I mutter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And that matters because? I know Charlie has a boyfriend, but that doesn't stop me fancying her and flirting with her and she knows that"

"And you can't blame me for trying can you?" Charlie says with smile

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe this. Why does she hang around these guys, when she knows how they feel about her? when all the while she's with me? Do I have to become some skeptical boyfriend that has to know everything she's doing? I don't want to be that guy"