Nick arose late Saturday morning, the aftertaste in his mouth indicative of his adventures the night before. He lifted his head from the unfamiliar pillow and groaned slightly. Peering to his left his eyes fell upon a few strands of curly brunette locks peeking out from underneath a pillow.
I can’t even remember her name, he thought to himself as he began to rub his temples in slow circles. Expertly, he eased himself out of her bed carefully creeping around the room and gathering his clothes which had been strewn about in their haste.
As quickly and silently as possible he put on his clothes and stumbled out of her room. He moved awkwardly until he found the front door. Quickly he opened it and began walking towards the elevators. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
He fumbled around in his pocket searching for his keys, not even sure where his car was or if he had even driven it or not. He couldn’t imagine himself driving intoxicated, but then again it wouldn’t have been the first time he had done it. He knew one day he was going to caught or worse end up in an accident.
Nick had promised himself a few days ago that he wasn’t going to drink himself into oblivion and then go off with the first thing that walked anymore. He didn’t want to be like that but he couldn’t help himself. He would do anything to fill the empty void that Melissa had left behind.
Hastily, he stepped out of the elevator oblivious to the stares of others. He didn’t care that he probably reeked of alcohol or that it was obvious that he had just rolled out of bed. All he cared about was finding his car.
Luckily for him the moment he stepped through the doors, there it was, parked just outside the building. He thanked his lucky stars as he fumbled with his keys before opening the door. His place wasn’t too far, he was sure that he could make it without ending up in an accident or getting stopped by the police.
As he climbed into the driver’s seat his cell began to ring. Nick cringed at the sound of it. He knew who it was. He let it ring almost four times before glancing at the caller ID. Of course it was his mother. She was probably calling to see how he was doing, especially today. She would want to know if he needed anything or someone to talk to. She was so damn predictable at times. “These things happen dear,” he could imagine her saying. “They’re all a part of life.”
That’s right, Nick thought bitterly to himself. These things happen, but only to me. He was the only one he knew spending his supposed wedding day with some flaky girl whose name he couldn’t remember. He was the one who had gotten so drunk out of his mind last night hoping that it would help him forget. He couldn’t forget though. Melissa was gone forever.
Today should have been the happiest day of his life.
There had been times when Jessica had wanted to call Nick, but somehow was never able to bring herself to do so. Nick didn’t have her number. She had purposely made sure of that and was secretly relieved that he hadn’t asked for it. She was in control of the situation and she liked it that way.
She and Nick had had fun. After the initial nervousness had worn off, she hadn’t felt the least bit pressured or uncomfortable. There was something about Nick. Being with him felt like being with long lost friend or something.
Now she sat on the corner of her bed, staring out of her bay window. When she moved she had purposely positioned her bed close to the window so she could look out. She had spent many a night lying in bed, peering through her wispy drapes at the twinkling lights below.
With a sigh she turned away from the window. Maybe she should give Nick a call. Anything was better than being cooped up in her house all day long. Besides, she couldn’t deny that she kind of wanted to see him again. Reaching into her night table she retrieved his card and carefully dialed his number. She waited as the phone rang and rang and rang. She was just about to hang up when suddenly he answered.
“Just leave me alone. I don’t want to talk about it,” he said angrily, assuming it was his mother calling back again.
“Nick?” Jessica inquired softly.
Silence ensued for a few seconds before Nick spoke. “Shit. Sorry. Jessica?” he inquired his voice less grating.
“Is everything alright? Sounds like a bad time,” she said softly slightly taken aback by his harsh tone.
“No, no. It’s fine,” he told her his voice almost hesitant. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” she paused wondering if she should continue. She decided to. “ I was calling to see if you wanted to get together or something,” she said nervously. “But I guess today’s not such a good day.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I could use the distraction,” he mumbled.
“If you’re sure,” Jessica said her voice trailing.
“I uh, have a few things to take care of first,” Nick lied. “So how about I pick you up in about 3 hours?” he asked, giving himself enough time to nurse his hangover somewhat and take a shower.
“Alright. See you then.”
Nick had picked her up almost an hour ago and now, they were strolling through a nearby park.
The crisp autumn wind whipped irritatingly through Jessica’s hair, forcing her to reach up and swat it out of her eyes every few seconds.
When Nick had arrived, Jessica had immediately noticed something different about him. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. There was something of a sadness about him. Whatever it was, he certainly wasn’t the same Nick that she had met a few days ago.
Despite his behaviour, Jessica still found it was quite easy to talk to him. Just today she had learned so many things about him. In fact he reminded her of one of her friends from back home.
Approaching a park bench, Nick suggested that they sit down. They did and sat in silence watching a group of young children frolicking in the leaves.
“Are you alright?” Jessica asked. When Nick didn’t respond, she immediately realized that she had probably overstepped. After all, they barely knew each other. “Sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
Nick was silent for almost a minute, his eyes fixed on his feet. “Today was supposed to be my wedding day,” he whispered without looking up. At that moment Jessica didn’t know what to say. So instead, she reached over and gently took Nick’s hand in hers and squeezed.
Nick didn’t flinch, just squeezed her comforting hand back. The pair sat there in silence, the wind whirling around them for the next hour.
He sat on his uncomfortable couch, a pen and paper in hand as he silently recounted the events of the day. It was important for him to take notes. The more he knew the better. Things would be a lot easier if he knew what he was up against.
He looked down at his paper, cringing in disgust. They had almost bored him to tears. They had sat on that bench for almost an hour without saying a word. He hoped it wasn’t always going to be this boring.
Maybe I’ll have to liven things up a little, he thought to himself with a smile.