Part 6
I want you so bad,
that I can taste you.
I want you so bad,
That when I close my eyes
I can feel your hands caressing my body.
I want you so bad,
that when you touch me,
I feel tremors in my soul.
I want you so bad,
that I can hear you call my name
from an ocean away.
I want you so bad
That I can feel your embrace
when you're nowhere to be found.
I want you so bad
that I am nothing without you.
Tea is lying in her bed, tossing and turning. The clock reads 5:30, the sky is orange from
the rising sun. Sweat is soaking through her shirt, and pouring from her head. She
clutches a pillow close to her chest.
"Oh god, Nick, I'm so sorry," she cries.
"Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to be sorry about," he replies as he puts an
arm around her.
"I should have done something."
"What? What could you have done?"
"I don't know. I mean, I just, I just, oh God, no."
A knock on the door awakens her from her nightmare. Startled, she quickly sits up, and
looks at her surroundings. Satisfied that she is safe, she stumbles from the couch to open
the door.
"Who is it?"
"Nick."
"Just a second," she opens the door.
Nick enters wearing a Rangers jersey and a pair of jeans. He is armed with a bag of fresh
bagels and cappuccinos. He walks past her, and places the bags on the table.
"Nick, make yourself comfortable, I just have to brush my teeth."
"Yeah, do that. I've smelled your breath in the morning, and it's not a scent I'm looking
forward to smelling again."
"Shut up. I'll be right back," she leaves the room.
Nick is left alone in the living room, and checks everything out, including Tea as she
ascends the stairs. He notices that she appears to be wearing a man's shirt, probably
Todd's. On the fireplace mantel, there is a picture of Todd, turned facedown. Right next
to it is a picture of Starr, cuddling a stuffed frog. There is a card, the two of hearts, laying
in the middle of the coffee table. There is dust on the card, indicating that it had not been
moved in quite sometime. He's standing in front of the window, admiring the view, when
Tea comes back down the stairs.
"Penny for your thoughts," she walks behind him and wraps her arms around his waist.
"I'm just admiring your place. The view is incredible."
"Thanks. Todd used to stand in front of this window for hours," turning away from the
window. "I'm hungry, what'd you bring?"
"Look for yourself," they walk toward the table. "Did I wake you?"
"Yes," she puts cream cheese on her bagel, and begins to nibble on it.
"I'm sorry," he does the same.
"Don't be. I was having a bad dream."
"What about?"
"Uh, about that night, when you and I-"
"Are you alright?"
"Yes," she sips from her coffee.
"Did you ever tell Todd?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Todd was very sensitive, especially when it came to me and his daughter. I just didn't
want to bother him with it."
"I'm sure it wouldn't have been a bother, but it was up to you."
"What are you doing up so early?"
"I haven't been to bed. I went to Club Indigo and stayed there 'til closing."
"It's the hottest club in town. Actually, it's the only club in town."
"Oh, man, they had this live jazz band, Works in Progress, man, they were great. I even
got on stage and jammed with them."
"Yeah? Piano or Sax?"
"Piano. I didn't realize how much I missed playing. Do you still write?"
"No, not really. Once I got to law school, I had to give up my passion for music, and
concentrate on school."
"You were such a great writer. You never wrote anything for Todd?"
"I didn't write any songs for him, because I didn't have a great musician to help compose
the music. I did write other stuff for him, poems and letters and stuff, but I never shared
them with him."
"Why not?"
She walks toward the fireplace, and picks up Todd's picture. "I was going to, but I never
had the opportunity. Don't laugh, but I wrote something for our wedding night, and I was
going to read it to him after we made love. But, we didn't last that long. I was going to
leave little poems and letters for him in his briefcase, his car, places like that. I know it's
stupid-" tears form in her eyes.
"No, it 's not stupid at all," he hugs her from behind.
"Nick, what's wrong with me?" Tea asks.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, why do I have such rotten luck with men?"
"Okay, I'm going to put some of that psychology stuff my mom taught me to use. Have a
seat," he leads her back to the couch and turns to face her. "You have always had kind of
a negative self-image, and people can pick up on that."
""But I've worked very hard to cultivate this hard-as-nails, aggressive, intelligent
attorney-"
"Yes, but that's exactly what it is, an image. People can see past that, straight to the truth,
and they will take advantage. Tea, you need to spend some time discovering who you are,
and learning to love that person."
"How did you get to be so smart?"
"I'm not a complete idiot, I just play one."
"You know, I'm seeing a therapist. She basically tells me the same thing, but it's
different coming from someone who knows you."
"Since I've helped you, what are you going to do for me?"
Later That Day
Andrea's Office
Tea follows Andrea into her office and sits down, as Andrea closes the door. Andrea
takes her seat across from Tea, and studies her client's body language. As usual, she is
playing with the ring around her neck.
"How are you today Tea?"
"Fine. How are you?"
"Good. What would you like talk about today?"
"Uh, well, a friend from a long time ago showed up unexpectedly."
"Yeah?"
"Uh, huh. His name is Nick. I met him when I was about nine or ten. Anyway, he was
one of my best friends growing up."
"What made him come to Llanview?"
"I don't really know. He said that he talked to my brother about my marriage, I guess
that's why he came."
"How does that make you feel?"
"Good. I think he's just what I need right now, a good friend. We were never anything
more than that. I think he's the only guy that I've ever known, who hasn't wanted
anything more than friendship."
"Is that all he wants now?"
"Absolutely. You know, whenever I've needed someone, or something, he has been the
only person there for me. It's like he knows when I need him, and boom, he's there."
Later that Evening
The Palace
The terrace is decorated with several dozen roses. There is only one table, and it is
reserved for Tea and Nick. There are hundreds of candles outlining the area. Jazz music
is blaring from the loud speaker. Nick is sitting at the table in a tuxedo, waiting for his
dinner companion. There is a box on the table, with a card attached. He sees her as soon
as she opens the doors. She is wearing a red strapless gown, with ruby earrings and a
matching necklace.
"You look gorgeous." He takes her arm, and leads her to her chair.
"Thank you. You look good yourself."
"I try. I already ordered for us."
"What's in the box?" she asks as she shakes the contents.
"You'll just have to wait until dessert."
"Fine," she says pouting "What are we having for dinner anyway?"
"That's a surprise too." Just as he says that, a waiter appears with dinner. He removes
silver cover to reveal lobster, rice pilaf and grilled vegetables.
"You ordered the whole lobster, and not just the tail?"
"You know me, all or nothing. Hey, and you can't use those cute little utensils, you have
to use your hands."
"Oh god, this is so messy."
"That's the fun of it," he says as he cracks a lobster claw and gets juice on the both of them.
"Nice going. I have to admit, this is great lobster."
"It should be, I had it flown in from Maine."
"I'm impressed."
The dinner ends quickly, as a food fight erupts. Nick starts it, by flinging a fork full of
rice in Tea's hair. She retaliates by throwing cauliflower and hitting him in his ear. After
that, lobster, rice, water, anything on the table was fair game.
The noise on the terrace prompts Renee see what the commotion is about. When she
opens the door, she sees Tea with a lobster claw hanging from her hair, and Nick with
vegetables sticking to his suit.
"What on earth is going on here?" Renee asks, trying to contain her laughter.
"Uh, nothing," Tea responds, trying to straighten her clothes. "I don't think you've met
my friend Nick Bastian."
Nick and Renee exchange handshakes.
"Bastian, as in Bastian Enterprises, the investment firm?"
"Yes, my father owns it."
"Are you going to be in Llanview long?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"Well, it was nice meeting you. I'll leave you and Tea to continue your food fight," she
winks at Tea and leaves.
"She seemed nice."
"She is, nice and nosey. Can I open my present now?"
"Yep, but you have to read the card first."
Tea carefully tears the pink envelope, and removes the card. The front of the card is light
yellow, with nothing but a vase of peach roses, and the word Friendship written across
the top. She opens the card, and reads the handwritten words. Tears form in her eyes, as
she reads the words over and over again.
You are the best friend that I have ever had. You have helped me through some of the
toughest times in my life, and I have done the same for you. This, what you're going
through right now, is unfair, is wrong. I've been trying to figure out how I can help you,
how I can ease your pain. I know that there is nothing I can say to make it better for you.
I know if I say I understand what you're going through, it would be a lie. The one thing
that we had going for us, is complete honesty. Let me be honest with you now. It's killing
me to see you hurt this much. In the past, you were able to disconnect your feelings, and
just go through the motions. This is different. Your whole being was tied to this man,
including your heart, and I believe you're still connected to him. I don't know Todd, but I
know you. I know that it would take a special man to steal your heart, and somehow, he
managed to do the impossible. As a friend, I'm going to give you a little advice. Follow
your heart, or take it back, because existing in limbo, is no way to live.
Enough with the mushy stuff, now open your present. For what it's worth, I think that
true love is rare in this world, and when you find it, you should hang on to it with both
hands. I other words, give him another chance, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Love Ya
Nick
Tears drop from her eyes, and smear the ink on the card. "Oh, Nick-"
"Don't do that, just open the box," he walks to the other side of terrace, and watches her intently.
"Oh, my, god," she says as she opens the box.
TO BE CONTINUED
2001 COPYRIGHT BY TORRI
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