Blackbird (12 page)

“What about men and women are equal?”

“Of course we are equal,” he replied. “Well, equal
until it comes to sex, of course. Some women can become very demanding in that
area,” he laughed.

Claire laughed along with him.
‘So
typical of you to turn the conversation around to sex.”

“It’s true, though. Admit it.”

Claire did admit it, but she wasn’t about to tell
Nate that. “What are you up to right now?”

“What, has all this sex talk got you thinking-?”

“No!” Claire interrupted. “No, Nate, we are still
only friends. I just wanted to chill out and not have to think about anything.”

“I’m actually going to a friend’s Halloween party
soon, if you
wanna
come? It’s not really chilling out
though-”

“Going to a party sounds awesome.” Claire said
quickly.

Anything to get her mind off
what just happened.

“Great, well it’s a costume party so if you can
get one ready and come to my place in a couple of hours we can go?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

“
Seeya
,” Claire said,
hanging up the phone.

She looked down at her phone. No messages from
Dave…and he hadn’t even followed her out to the car, either.
Fine, have it
your way
, she thought.

Claire pulled out of her park and drove down the
street. Now all she needed was a costume.

***

“Wow.”

Claire looked down at her costume. She didn’t have
much to work with, and this was all she had been able to come up with. She was
wearing a white leotard with a matching white tutu she had borrowed from
Stella. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she wore white flat
ballet shoes.

“Wow as in good or bad?”

Nate smiled. “Wow as in good, definitely good. Who
knew ballerinas could be sexy?”

Claire rolled her eyes. “I could say the same
about you, although I think the sexy vampire thing’s been done a few times
now,” she said, eyeing Nate’s costume. He was wearing all black and fake fangs
with blood running down his mouth and throat.

Nate raised his eyebrow, looking at her with a
confused expression on his face.

Claire started laughing. “But you, of course, have
no idea who Edward is? Damon? Stefan?”

Nate still looked confused. “Are they your
friends?”

Claire shook her head.
“Never
mind.”

 “Are you drinking tonight?” Nate asked.

“I’m not sure. Why?”

“Well, I still can’t drive, and if you’re planning
on drinking I’d rather us take a taxi and leave your car here.”

“I was only going to have a couple of drinks, so I
could still drive.”

“I’d rather just take a taxi. I don’t want you
drinking and driving.
Even if it is just a small amount.”

“But I’ll be fine.”

“Claire, please, just
do
this for me.”

Claire looked at Nate’s pleading eyes. He was
concerned for her, and she understood why. He was still suffering the
after-effects of drunk driving. Although Claire would never get behind the
wheel drunk, she understood where he was coming from.

“Okay, let’s just catch a taxi,” she agreed.

Nate sighed in relief. “Good. I’ll call one now and
we can get going. But I will warn you now: Tim’s parties can get pretty wild,
so I don’t want you leaving my sight.”

She smiled. “Okay, I won’t.”

***

“Okay, now I’m regretting my outfit
choice,” Claire mumbled as they approached Tim’s house.

It had only taken a ten minute taxi ride to get to
the party, and as soon as they had gotten out of the taxi she had known she was
going to look out of place. The girls lining the street and driveway to the
house were all dressed in skimpy costumes that barely covered their bodies.
Claire looked like a nun in comparison.

“What? What are you talking about?” Nate asked as
they walked closer to the house. The music could be heard from down the street
and judging by the noise there were easily over a hundred people at the party.

Claire grabbed Nate’s leather jacket and pulled
him close. “I look like some kind of prudish princess compared to everyone
else,” she whispered.

Nate took a quick glance at the girls nearby, then
bent down and whispered into her ear, “You’re the only girl I’m looking at
tonight, and I happen to think you look amazing. If those girls want to dress
that way then it’s their problem. Don’t worry yourself about it.”

Claire watched two girls nearby dressed in
matching maid costumes eye her up and down before laughing behind their drinks.
“Easy for you to say.
I’m sticking out like a sore
thumb.”

Nate stopped abruptly and pulled her so she faced
him. “How many times do I have to tell you how beautiful you are? You are ten
times better looking than any girl here. Stop doubting yourself because of some
girls who have nothing better to do than bitch and be rude. You’re better than
them. Plus, you’re with me, and that says something.” He winked.

“What, that you’re hot?” Claire asked confused.

Nate beamed his trademark mischievous grin. “That,
and the fact I’ve never taken a girl to a party before.”

Claire shook her head.
“What-t?
Like never?”

“Never.
You’ve been my
first for a lot of things now. First girl I’ve ever bought to a party, first
girl I’ve ever taken on a date, and first girl I’ve ever called.”

Claire had known Nate wasn’t a relationship guy,
but seriously?

“So how come I’m the exception?”

“For many reasons- but we need to get into this
party now.” Nate stepped up the side porch steps leading to the front door.
“Coming?”

Claire sighed, wishing she could understand Nate.
She was sure she had him figured when they first met, yet now she didn’t know
what to think. He was a player, no doubt about that. His interest in women
never went past sex. He was confident in himself, took pride in his body, was
extremely talented when he put his mind to something, yet, he had this guilt he
carried around, and for some reason he treated Claire differently.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” she said stepping up to meet
him.

They walked across the patio together and into the
house. The music was blaring and there seemed to be someone squeezed into every
space possible. Claire didn’t even think anyone could know this many people,
let alone have
them
all crammed into the one house at
the same time.

Claire glanced into one of the rooms to see people
doing beer bongs, body shots, and
god only knows what those shots are
called.
She felt even more like a prude for what her eyes had just
witnessed.

The opposite room, which Claire could only assume
was the lounge room, had been transformed into a dance floor with a DJ. People
were jumping and dancing everywhere.

Claire laughed. “This is crazy!” Claire yelled up
to Nate.

He smiled. “I told you!”

He entwined his hand in hers and nodded his head
toward the kitchen. “Come with me.”

Claire followed Nate through the crowd, holding
his hand tightly. She couldn’t help but notice how big his hands were and
strangely how soft they felt against her skin.

His height and build made it easy for Nate to push
his way through the crowd. Not that he really needed to- the crowd naturally
parted for him. To strangers Nate was intimating; his tattooed muscular frame,
the power he portrayed, the man he was.

Every female they passed took in Nate’s presence.
They giggled, gawked and attempted to gain his attention. Claire tightened her
grip on Nate’s hand with each look, somewhat proud he was holding her hand and
not theirs, as childish as it sounded.

They moved into an opening in the kitchen. Nate
wrapped his arm around her waist causing her body to tense before relaxing when
his fingers gently rubbed her in reassurance.

“Boys, this is Claire,” Nate said to three men
talking to each other.

They all turned towards Nate. The tallest guy, who
had gone all out on a roman warrior costume, took one look at them and spat his
mouthful of beer across the room. “Holy shit!” he called.

“Smooth Tim, smooth,” Nate grumbled.

The tall guy, Tim, put down his drink on the bench
and rubbed his eyes sarcastically. “Am I seeing this right? Did Nate fucking
Williams just turn up to a party with a girl? Or did he manage to pull one
within seconds of arriving?”

Nate leant down and whispered to Claire loud
enough for them to
hear,
“Ignore him. He’s a dick at
the best of times.” He then looked up at Tim. “And yeah, to answer your
question, I arrived with her, but we’re just friends.”

Tim’s eyes moved to Nate’s hand around her waist.
He raised one eyebrow and laughed.
“Friends?
Is that
what you want to call it?”

Claire suddenly didn’t feel so comfortable with
Nate’s hand around her so she tried to pull herself free, but Nate held her
firmly by his side.

“Shut up Tim! Are you looking for a fight
tonight?” Nate threatened.

One of the other men, who resembled a zombie,
stepped forward and pushed Tim aside. “He’s just messing with you, Nate.” He
held his hand out to Claire. “I’m Liam.
Nice to meet you,
Claire.”

Claire shook his hand.
“Likewise.”

The smallest of the men, dressed in a pirate
outfit, stepped forward and also held his hand out. “I’m Blake, the good
looking one.” He winked at her.

Claire smiled and watched as Tim also held out his
hand. “And I’m of course Tim, the dickhead.”

Claire shook his hand as Tim lowered his voice, “I
didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just Nate turning up with a girl is a first.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Claire couldn’t blame the guy for being surprised
if everything Nate had told her about himself was true. She had to admit she
herself was surprised. . But it didn’t faze her. They were only friends and
that was how it was going to stay.

While Nate launched into the story of how Claire
and he met, she took a quick glance at her phone. Dave still hadn’t tried to
text or call. She didn’t know whether to be pissed off or relieved. Whatever
the case, she was going to ignore it and try to have a good night. It had been
way too long since she’d gone out and just enjoyed herself without having to
worry about paparazzi or staying out too late, which upset Dave.

***

Everything about being with Claire
seemed natural.

She was confident and certain of herself as they
roamed the party together, drinking and talking to his friends. She conversed
easily with his friends, and the fact that she didn’t know anybody but him
didn’t seem to worry her. She looked to be enjoying herself regardless.

The surprised reactions of him turning up with her
didn’t just stop at Tim, though. Nearly every one of Nate’s friends came across
as surprised in one way or another.  Nate actually began to take pleasure
at the looks on their faces when he introduced Claire, leaving out the ‘just
friends’ comment, to watch their reactions. Even Claire began to play along,
slipping her hand around Nate’s waist or holding his hand.

Every time they were together he couldn’t wait for
the next time they would see each other. He had started to believe in the term
‘whipped’ and they weren’t even dating. He wanted, no needed, to be around her.

Even though Claire had seemed upset earlier in the
evening, she wasn’t letting it get to her now. He guessed she must have had a
fight with Dave, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t like that she’d been upset
because of him, but he would happily be the one to be there for her, her
shoulder to cry on.

Are you listening to yourself, you fucking pansy!

Okay, okay. Something was seriously happening to
him. The type of shit Nate was thinking about, sappy love sick shit, was not
something
Nate Williams
would think about. This girl had done a number
on him and he knew it.

“Nate?”

He looked down at Claire.
“Yeah?”

“I’ve
gotta
pee,” she
said apologetically.

He laughed, finding her tipsy composure from
drinking amusing.
“And?”

“And…” She pointed to the line of at least twenty
girls in front of the bathroom.

“Right.”
Nate understood
what she meant. He pushed forward to the front of the line, pulling Claire
along with her.

“My friend really needs to use the bathroom. Can
she jump the line?” he asked the girls in the line.

“No way!
We’ve been
waiting for over half an hour,” one of the girls responded. The others crossed
their arms and frowned at him.

He leant forward and said, as seductively as he
could, “Please, it would mean a lot.”

The girl just laughed and shook her head. “Not
happening. You may be hot, but I’m busting!”

“Nate, just leave it,” Claire said tugging on his
arm. “Is there anywhere else I can go?”

“Apart from the bush, no.”

“The bush it is then,” she said pulling him out
the door towards the back of the property.

“You’re serious?”

“I have to pee, Nate!”

He chuckled at her, “Fine but you’re not going
anywhere where someone could see you.”

He guided her out to the backyard. Thankfully
Tim’s house backed onto bush land. They got to the back fence and Nate bent
down, cupping his hands together. “Here I’ll give you a boost over.”

Claire didn’t even hesitate, stepping into his
hands and using her body and his push to hoist
herself
over the fence. Nate quickly followed, landing on the other side of the fence
with her.