Seven Days: The Complete Story (21 page)

The next
couple of days are busy. I’m in and out of the office with Jill,
travelling to jobs, digging in the dirt. I don’t get time to see
Nicholas or Joel and that’s good. It means they can’t say anything,
do anything. I’m an office lackey when they’re not here —
photocopying, filing, getting coffee, sitting in on meetings,
Googling shit for Jill. I’m learning heaps. It’s fun, the way a
placement should be.

By Friday,
I’ve come to the conclusion I’m going to make it through. I can
handle the subtle one-liners and looks. Hell, I’ve even thrown a
few in the boys’ direction myself, to let them know that I’m aware
of what they’re up to. It’s been a tough slog though and most of
the time I feel like I’ve alternately been wading through quicksand
or totally away with the fairies. On more than one occasion Jill
has had to bring me back to reality because sometimes when I’m
meant to be working, I find myself daydreaming about Nicholas’
eyes, the hair that sweeps across his brow, his large hands. I
think about those hands touching me again and about Joel’s lips on
mine making me burn. The worst is when we’re in the same room. My
tactic then is to not meet their eyes for fear I’ll find myself
staring a bit too often and a bit too long. It’s quite disgusting,
that I can be so turned on when one of them swears at the
photocopier or shakes the milk carton in frustration because it’s
been put in the fridge with half a centimetre of milk remaining in
the bottom. Disgusting.

As I’m getting
my backpack from my locker that afternoon, Nicholas comes in.

“I’m glad I
caught you,” he says.

“Why?” I hope
he’s not going to ask me to stay late. He’s done it twice this week
and though we’ve only worked and I’ve learnt a lot from him, it’s
been torture not being able to touch him or kiss him. Besides, I’m
tanked. I need to sit on my sofa and drink wine with my best
friend. All this thinking and being on my best behaviour has done
me in.

“I scored
tickets to
Grease
tonight. You like musicals, right?”

How on earth
did he remember that? I mentioned it maybe once in passing that day
on the yacht.

“I love
musicals.” And
Grease
is the mother of all musicals. It was
Mum’s favourite. The first time she took me to see it I was six or
maybe seven.

“I thought you
might like to go if you’re not doing anything.”

“With you?” I
try not to splutter out the words but seriously, is Nicholas asking
me on a date?

“No, with the
tooth fairy. Of course, with me. And Joel.”

I stare at
him, appalled. He knows I have a boyfriend. Surely, he’s not trying
to get to me through my obsession with watching people break into
song and dance at inappropriate moments?

“It’s not a
date, Sadie,” he continues. “You can go with that guy of yours if
you like. I’m not fussed. I’ve seen the T-Birds race the Scorpions
before. I thought you might like to go.”

Okay, so he
knows the names of the two gangs in the musical. Either he’s been
researching to impress me or he’s seen the movie. I watch as he
pulls two tickets out of his pocket and holds them out. “Here. It’s
one of the perks of the job. People give you stuff.”

“But they’re
yours. You must have someone else you can ask.”

Nicholas
shrugs. “Nobody who’d appreciate the intricacies of the chorus line
the way you probably do. We can go as friends. I don’t care.”

I know he
does. He’s being very nice about this.

“You won’t try
anything?” Why I’m even asking this is beyond me. We both know I’ll
probably be the one to make a move.

My conscience
gets the better of me and I sigh. “I can’t. I don’t think it would
be right to go with you when Mason is my boyfriend. It would feel
like I was cheating, even if we’re ‘friends’.”

“Not if you
ask him first.”

Can you do
that? Is it okay to do that?

“You don’t
know if you don’t ask,” Nicholas says. It’s like he can read my
mind.

Before I know
it, I’ve rang Mason and — him being the loving guy that he is —
he’s agreed to let me go. I stipulate that it’s a work thing
though, because no matter how Nicholas is trying to dress it up, I
feel the teensiest bit guilty.

“It’s fine,
babe. I have stuff to do anyway,” Mason says.

I wonder if
he’d say the same if he knew my history with Nicholas?

“Have a great
night,” he adds. “And no singing along to
Hopelessly
Devoted
. It’s embarrassing.”

As if.

I hang up the
phone, grinning from ear to ear. “Shall I meet you at the
theatre?”

“I’m not sure
we should go after what I heard. You don’t sing along do you?”

“Yep. And I
sound like rubbish so get over it.”

Nicholas
grins. “We’ll pick you up in an hour. Is that enough time? Show
starts at eight.”

“I’ll be
ready.”

I wouldn’t
miss this for the world.
Grease
is one show that’s been on
my bucket list since forever. I’ve seen the movie so many times I
could be Sandy. Except I have red hair.

*****

When I get
home, Emily is in the kitchen, drinking white wine with Alex. She’s
wearing a pair of tight black pants and a black faux fur jacket.
She has her blonde hair pulled back with a black Alice band and
thick sweeps of eyeliner along the lids of her eyes. She looks
adorable.

“Off out?” I
ask, as I dump my bag and head for the shower.

“We’ve got
tickets to see
Grease
.”

Oh. My.
God.

I blink. “Wow.
Fab.”

“What are you
up to? Seeing Mason?”

I can feel my
face going red and I can’t lie. I can’t. “I’m going to see
Grease
too.”

Emily claps
her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me? Hashtag exciting.”

Hashtag gulp
more like.

“I found out
half an hour ago.”

“Do you want
to share a cab? I haven’t ordered one yet. We can meet in the foyer
after the show and go for supper. That’ll be fun. I’ve never done
that whole theatre thing before. Do you think Mason can get us a
table at that restaurant down from the theatre? He knows the
owners, yeah?”

“Um.” Okay,
this part of the admission is not as easy. “I’m not going with
Mason.”

Emily’s eyes
widen. The recognition is written all over her face. “You’re going
with Nicholas?”

“Yes, but
Mason knows. And Joel is coming, too.”

Emily rounds
the breakfast bar faster than I’ve ever seen a girl walk in ten
centimetre heels. She grabs me by the arm and pulls me toward the
bathroom, excusing us to Alex before slamming the door.

“What the hell
are you playing at?”

“Nothing. It’s
a friend thing, not a date. Mason gets it. He knows how much I love
musicals.”

“You can’t
date two men at the same time. It’s wrong. Even if I don’t like
Mason that much, it’s not fair to him.”

“I’m not
dating Nicholas. I told you. It’s a friend thing with the three of
us. And it’s
Grease
! You know how much I’ve wanted to see
it.”

Emily’s lips
twist. “Yeah, right.”

“It’s
true!”

“Maybe but I
still think it’s wrong. How did Mason even agree?”

“He thinks
it’s a work thing.”

Which it, sort
of, is. In a very loose connotation.

“You’re
playing with fire, Sadie.”

And that’s
when I break. “I lust after Nicholas every minute of the day but
what can I do? He’s my boss and I won’t be accused of sleeping with
him to get a good grade on my prac. I have to earn it on my own
merit. Plus, I like Mason. He’s kind and gentle and caring.”

“And boring as
all hell. You should break up with him. You’re not being fair.”

She’s
right.

“I don’t want
to hurt him. Nothing is going to happen. Joel will be there.”

“I guess so. I
mean, gay men love musicals, yeah? You’d totally expect him to go.
But you make sure you sit him between you and Nicholas.”

Like that
would make any difference.

“Yes,
Mum.”

“And I’ll be
watching. I’ll scope you out no matter where you are in the
theatre. Friends only.”

Talk about put
a damper on my evening. I’m too afraid to scratch now for fear
she’ll think I’m feeling Nicholas up. “Friends. Now let me get
ready. Nicholas will be here in half an hour.”

The thought of
that is enough to send butterflies whizzing around in my belly.

*****

An hour later,
Nicholas, Joel and I are seated in the best seats in the house. I’m
pumped. I’m also feeling an incredible case of green-eyed monster
because Joel has brought a date and she’s gorgeous with a massive
capital G. I know he’s done this on purpose to show we’re nothing
but friends but how am I going to explain it to Emily if we happen
to bump into her and Alex during intermission. Joel’s meant to be
gay. It might be safer to stay in our seats because this lie is
getting bigger by the second. I should never have agreed to this
lunacy. I should have stayed at home in my nice, safe flat with my
nice, safe boyfriend.

The show
starts and as soon as I hear the reprise, I’m up in my seat, my
annoyance at Joel forgotten. Nicholas, who is on my left, leans
toward my shoulder. “No singing.”

I grin back.
“Thank you, thank you for asking me. This is literally mega
awesome.”

“Doesn’t mean
you can sing. I have a reputation.”

I give him a
comical salute.

We reach the
scene where Sandy is on the sleep over and about to sing
Hopelessly Devoted
and I’m lost, I’ve completely forgotten
the boys are with me, that Joel has a date, that Emily has eyes
like a hawk. I’m waiting on the edge of my seat feeling Sandy’s
pain of unrequited love. She’s sitting there in her little
nightgown with her fluffy slippers and I want to sing. I want to.
Then, I feel a hand creep into mine. It gives a small squeeze.

“I’m not going
to sing,” I whisper.

“I’m not
holding your hand for that reason.”

“Then
why?”

Nicholas gazes
into my eyes. “I want to.”

I remove his
hand from mine but he takes it back. He tickles my palm and I feel
like I’m fifteen and at the movies with Sean Maloney. My heart is
pounding in my chest.

“You said
friends,” I lean into him, whispering so as not to disturb the
people around us.

His lips graze
my cheek. So, not something a friend would do. I glare at him
before returning my concentration to the stage. I can’t do this if
he wants more. Not now.

“Sorry. I
won’t do it again.” Nicholas removes his hand. It’s weird but I
feel bereft and empty without his palm touching mine and I never
realised until now. He shrugs and looks to the stage where Sandy
has left Danny stranded at the drive-in. That’s how I feel without
him touching me. Alone. Lost.

“We could have
fun at a drive-in,” he whispers. “The three of us. A wagon.”

Oh, this is so
not fair. He’s making me want him; want them. I look to Joel but of
course, he’s too wrapped up in his ultra-sexy, model date to notice
the predicament I’m in. I can feel him tapping his foot to the
music because his knee is rubbing against mine. What would be the
point anyway? He’s as serious as a clown in a circus.

“I’m going
home,” I say. I don’t care if this is the best musical ever. I can
watch the freakin’ movie without this.

Nicholas grabs
my hand again. He doesn’t say anything but it feels like it’s where
we belong. It’s how we belong. “Please don’t go, Sadie. I’ll
behave.”

Maybe for now
but what about later?

The weekend
brings relief from the agony that is Nicholas and Joel. I’m alone
at home with my thoughts and a mountain of unwashed overalls. Emily
has gone on a mini-break with Alex to a little love nest by the
sea. I’m pleased for her. This time she seems to have found the man
she’s yearned for, the one who fulfils her dreams.

My day is
spent doing mundane things. I do the washing; spend some more time
on my assignment for prac. I research some stuff for Jill. I read a
book and listen to the soundtrack of
Grease
while I vacuum
the tiny space Emily and I call home. There’s no sign of Mason but
I don’t expect to see him. He’s gone to a comic book convention on
the other side of town and is probably rubbing shoulders with Thor
or someone as we speak. I’ve never understood the allure of comics.
Sure, I liked them when I was eight but why would anyone want to
collect them? Or be ecstatic about seeing some person in a costume
of their favourite character? Worse still, dressing up as their
favourite. I guess it’s each to their own. It’s Mason’s thing and
if it makes him happy then I’m fine with it.

I spend a lot
of time thinking while I’m pottering around the house — as Mum
liked to call it. I ponder the odd relationship I have with
Nicholas and Joel. I know they still want me, they’ve made it
fairly clear but I think I’m handling them well. I didn’t give in
to Nicholas’ attempt at trickery and I didn’t thump Joel over the
head, not even when he kissed that girl right in front of me. The
kiss was obviously good, it made her moan, and I wanted him to kiss
me like that but there’s a difference between wanting and doing.
It’s what makes us intelligent beings. I may want but I will not
do.

No.

At about six,
my phone buzzes. It’s Mason, reminding me about the engagement
party we’re going to this evening. His older brother has finally
popped the question and the family is over the moon. I’ve never met
Mason’s family so I’m amped to be seeing them tonight. I hope they
like me because, despite the fact that Mason wants to be more
serious and I’m not ready, I like him. A lot. Even if he is a bit
like lettuce without dressing at times.