Not Today, But Someday(18)

“All my life,” he says.

“This is bigger than the apartment building we live in. Like, with all the units.” He just nods, pressing a button to open a garage door. There are two garages, with four doors total. He drives into the spot closest to the house. A beautiful woman opens the door to the house, her shoulder-length blonde hair perfectly-styled. She’s wearing more makeup than I’m used to seeing on women, especially at ten o’clock at night. Maybe she’s on a date.

I stay in the car, nervous, as Nate gets out. She doesn’t notice me at first, talking to Nate and giving him a hug. He kisses her cheek, then glances at me through the front window of the SUV. His mother – I presume– looks startled. Nate waves for me to get out.

“I’m Emi,” I say nervously as I shut the car door a little too hard. The door was heavy, and didn’t need all the force I’d put behind it.

“This is my mom,” Nate says. She doesn’t say anything to me. She just nods and smiles nervously.

“Well, get inside,” she addresses Nate. “It’s too cold to be out here.” Nate waits for me to enter the house behind his mother first, then follows me in. She continues walking ahead, but I stop, waiting for Nate to take the lead. He follows her to another room across the house.

In the kitchen, another younger man sits at the kitchen island with a glass of wine. “Victor, this is Emily,” she says.

“It’s Emi, actually,” Nate corrects her.

“It’s okay,” I smile, not wanting to offend anyone. “My parents call me Emily sometimes. It’s my real name.” I walk over to the man and shake his hand. “Are you Nate’s brother?”

The kitchen goes dead-silent, and I suddenly feel suffocated by awkward tension.

“Victor is Mom’s business partner,” Nate says, and I can feel all the color drain from my face. I look to his mother, an apology hanging on my tongue but unable to make its way out.

“It’s okay,” she says with a slight smile.

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be,” Nate’s mom says. “He’s brilliant at what he does, even if he does look like he just got out of college–”

“Mom, can I talk to you for a second?”

“I was hoping you would,” she says with a smile in my direction. “Victor, see if Emi wants something else to drink.”

“Wine?” he asks.

“Please tell me she’s not old enough to drink,” his mother says quickly.

“I’m not, no,” I answer for my friend, feeling completely uncomfortable. I can tell Nate’s mom is not okay with me being here.

“I have my latte, or something,” I mumble, holding it up. “It’s good.”

“Something to eat?” Victor asks.

“I’m good.” I start to shrug out of my coat, realizing that beads of sweat are forming on my upper lip. It could be the roaring fire that’s six feet to my left, or it could just be the situation. Unsure if I should make myself at home so soon, I leave the coat on, but unzip it all the way.

“Have a seat,” the man offers, pushing a chair out for me.

“Thanks.” I listen intently, trying to hear Nate or his mother, but I hear no one. They could have gone anywhere in this huge house, never to be heard from again. And I’m left with this man–

Imagination, Emi...

“Can I take my coat off?”

“Of course.” Victor stands up, touching the shoulder of my down jacket. “Let me help.”

“I’ve got it,” I say, confused. I can take off my own coat. He stands next to me, waiting until I’ve got both arms out of the sleeves, and then takes my coat from me. It seems awfully late on a Saturday for a work meeting. It’s none of my business. But what is he, twenty five?

“Are you Nate’s girlfriend?” Victor asks me as he walks back to his glass of wine.

“No,” I tell him. “I go to school with him. I actually just met him yesterday,” I admit. Was it only yesterday? “It’s just... the weather was bad and I couldn’t get home, and... well, I hope I’m not getting him in trouble.”

“In trouble with Donna?” he asks with a chuckle. “She’s the most charitable woman I’ve ever met. You need a place to stay tonight?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“That makes two of us,” he says with a sympathetic smile. “I’d planned to leave before the storm, but sometimes we both just get too involved in our work.”

“What do you do?”

“Our current project is a fund-raiser for AIDS research. Donna’s involved in a lot of organizations, though. It’s my job to keep her focused on one thing at a time. She has a tendency to spread herself a little thin. When she learns of someone who needs help, she just can’t say no.”

“She sounds very caring.”

“She is. And that’s why I don’t think she’ll turn you away tonight. She’d give up her own bed if she had to.”

“I wouldn’t want her to do that–”

“Sweetheart, look around. She has more room than she knows what to do with.”

“You really don’t think she’ll mind?”