Second Chances (13 page)

Chapter 22

As Paige took a sip of her cosmopolitan, she watched Skylar in action over the rim of her glass and shook her head.  She was the same girl she always had been - on the prowl and in charge.  Although she felt it was an empty lifestyle, as she thought Skylar would never find lasting love if she were always out for self-gratification, it was still something she found entertaining.  One thing for sure, no one could call her friend boring - predictable maybe, but not boring.

“Is she always like this?”  Natasha yelled over the music that was blaring throughout the bar.

Paige raised her eyebrows and sent her a mischevious grin in response.  She cocked her head, saying, “It’s usually good for a show at the least.”

Natasha laughed.  “No doubt.  Things sure have changed.  I’ve been married so long that I’m positive I’d be eaten alive in today’s dating scene.”

Natasha scanned the younger crowd and grimaced before catching Paige studying her from across the table. She let out a nervous laugh, saying, “Yeah, I would never survive in this day and age.  This makes me feel really old.”

“You’re only as old as you feel.”  Paige blurted, in part to reassure her friend but mostly because she needed to hear it herself. 

She eyed the room full of twenty to thirty-something women, who wore next to nothing, and wondered when she’d become so old.  It wasn’t that long ago that she felt she was in the prime of her life, but the years had passed quicker than she’d like to admit. She zoned in on a blonde, who danced as if all eyes were on her, and raised an eyebrow.  Even when Paige had been at the peak of her younger years, she didn’t remember being bold enough to flaunt everything, as if it were on display for the world to see.

“The answer is no.”  Natasha looked at her with knowing eyes.

“What are you reading my mind now?”  Paige grinned.

“No, but you don’t exactly have a poker face.  You’re looking at the crowd, wondering how or when you were ever like that.” 

“I was not!”  She put her drink down and laughed.

Suddenly Skylar appeared next to her, yelling, “What were you not doing?  Oh!  I know.  You’re not having any fun!”  She pulled on her friend’s arm. “How come you’re hanging in the corner?  I came here to be with my girl and have fun!”

“Remind me how you two are friends?”  Natasha asked, eyes wide.

Skylar smirked in her direction.  “We worked at the same paper back in Alexandria.  And we both had a jerk of a boss, who liked cute girls in short skirts.  He was a bit handsy.  I always thought Paige was a bit uptight, and she is sometimes, but when Hiram, our boss, tapped her on the ass one day – she whisked around and slapped him across the face.”

“What?” Natasha’s jaw dropped.  “I can’t believe that.”

“No, she didn’t.  But I always imagined it that way in my head.”  Skylar tilted her head toward the ceiling as if daydreaming.

Natasha’s eyes were glued to Paige’s.
              “She’s not making the whole thing up.”  Paige laughed.  “We did work at the same paper.  And we had a flirty boss, but not a handsy one.  Skylar got handsy with him, though, and then got fired, because he was married.”

Natasha laughed.  “Now that makes more sense.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Skylar rolled her eyes and then enthusiastically grabbed Paige by the hand as ‘Shake it Off’ blared through the speakers.  “It’s our song!  Come on!”

Paige conceded by taking one more big gulp of her drink, and shoving her phone and purse to Natasha.

“Will you hold our table and watch my stuff?”

Natasha nodded, happy to stay behind.  She was not what you would call rhythmically inclined.  In school, Paige was the dancer – while Natasha was in academic club or yearbook. As she watched her friend on the floor with Skylar, it was obvious how much she still loved to dance.  She was a natural.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to garner the attention from those around them on the dance floor.  As a few guys flocked in their direction, Natasha opened her Facebook app on her phone. She snapped a quick picture as men surrounded them, and smiled as it uploaded to her wall.  She quickly tagged Paige and continued to grin at the thought of how many high school classmates would see it, which meant eventually so would Davis.

Eat your heart out,
she thought happily while slipping her phone back in her pocket. In her opinion, he was never right for her friend.  She was never more thankful she had moved on to bigger and better things, like Nick Granger.

As the song wound down, an exhilarated Paige came back flushed and looked like she had a second lease on life.

“That was fun.”  She gasped before reaching for a sip of her drink. By the time she sat down, she realized Skylar wasn’t anywhere to be found.

Paige looked to the mass of dancers to see two arms waving in the air, and knowingly smiled.  She pushed up to her tip-toes for a better vantage point, only to find Skylar dancing with one of the many men that surrounded them while she was on the floor. 

She knowingly grinned as she waited for what was to come and nodded for Natasha to follow her gaze to the dance floor, where Skylar had captured the attention of every available male in the room.

“There she goes.” Paige playfully rolled her eyes and sat back down. 

Paige didn’t need a front row seat for Skylar’s signature dance move.  She knew it by heart.  She glanced over her shoulder once more to see her friend waving her arms back and forth, before pressing up to the man of her choice and gyrated her hips on his.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, glancing from Skylar to Paige.

“She’s nothing like you.”  She laughed.  “But I can see why she’s fun hang out with.”

Paige shrugged. “Yeah, she is. You and I will have to go out there next.”

“Oh, no.  I’m happy to sit here and quietly drink my wine while you all go crazy on the floor.”

Paige smirked at Natasha, as her phone suddenly lit up from across the table.

“Hey – look who you had a missed call from.”  Natasha’s mouth twisted with mischief.

Paige grabbed for her phone and saw Nick’s name on the screen.  She typed a quick text that read:
I can’t talk – out with the girls
.

Natasha stretched over to read it and said, “You should invite him out here.”

“I’m here with you guys.”

“You think that would hold Skylar back?  And come on – we’re surrounded by men.  One more might be fun.  Ask him.”

Paige dropped her eyes to her phone and backspaced to type a new text, which read:
Out with the girls at Toby Kieth’s at Potomac Mills Place – want to join us?

Before she lost her nerve, she hit send. It didn’t take long for three dots to appear on her screen.  She sat clenching her phone, anxiously awaiting as she finally read:
On my way
.

She slid her phone into her pocket and drew in her shoulders with eyes wide. “He’s coming!”

Natasha watched her face light up and was happy to see Paige investing in someone, who was not only worthwhile but deserving of her love.  Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, as a young man, who looked to be in high school, asked, “Would you like to dance?”

She looked to Paige, who covered her mouth as the edges began to curl.  She, too, tried not to laugh and politely declined.  Once he was out of earshot, her face twisted and she burst out in laughter. 

“I could have been his mother!”

Paige threw her head back laughing, in agreement.

“Oh my gosh.  He might have liked that.  Maybe he wanted you to spank him.”

“Bite your tongue!”  Natasha looked utterly helpless and groaned.  “I’m so glad I’m married.” As Paige looked to her lap, Natasha quickly tried to cover her flub, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut.  “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.  I’m glad you’ve got someone to go home too.”

Natasha shrugged, feeling pity wash over her until she saw Skylar on the dance floor, behind Paige’s shoulder.  She blinked in awe and couldn’t help but stare, as she was making out with the same young man, who’d just asked her to dance not even five minutes ago.

“What the?”  Natasha was taken aback.  “Well from the looks of it – so does your friend.”

Paige craned her neck and laughed.  “Oh - that’s nothing.  She’d eat him alive.  She won’t go home with him.  She’s only toying with him.  No – you’ll know who she chooses by how she approaches him not the other way around.”

“Wow.” Natasha shook her head. “How did you keep her in check when you two used to hang?  And more importantly, how did you ever get out of the house?  Knowing Davis, he’d never let you out with someone who would be traipsing around like that.”

Paige thought back to the many weekend trips he took for work, that she now knew were probably with Veronica, and shrugged.

“He was pre-occupied throughout the last couple years of our marriage.  When he was home, I took care of him and his obligations for work.  And when he wasn’t – which was a lot – Skylar would drag me out.  Being her only married friend, I was the perfect wing-man. It worked out for us both.  I didn’t have to spend much time in my empty house, and she, well, she had all the attention.”

In that exact moment, both women saw Skylar’s body language change.  She was almost perched at the bar watching someone from afar, but they couldn’t tell who.

“Oh – I see.” Natasha said, recalling what Paige had said earlier.  “She’s about to pounce on some poor fellow.”

Paige giggled, craning her neck to see who it was her friend had zoned in on when Nick snuck up behind her.

“Hey there.”  He reached for a stool, to sit next to Paige when he felt a warm body slide up behind him.

As Natasha watched it all unfold, she bit her lip to keep from smiling.  This was going to be good.

“How about buying me a drink?” Skylar pressed her chest into Nick’s arm.

Nick blinked unsure of what to do next.  He didn’t want to offend anyone, but he wasn’t here to hook up.  He only had eyes for one woman.  He smiled down at Paige apologetically.

“It’s okay.” Paige grinned, making the introductions.  “Nick, this is Skylar.  Skylar, this is my … friend, Nick.”

Nick sent Paige a curious look, thinking he was much more than her friend, but they could talk about that later.

Skylar took a step back and did the math.  So this was the guy that had her friend’s heart beating again.  She laughed off her blunder and stuck her hand out to shake Nick’s.

“Nice to meet you.  Sorry for the uh…”

“No problem.  It’s not my first time,” he joked.

“Oh, and he’s funny.”  Sklar beamed at Paige, happy for her friend.  “You got yourself a keeper.”

Paige blinked in adoration toward Nick, thinking she was the luckiest girl here.  “Yes, I do.”

Nick took a step back and offered his chair to Skylar, who sent him an incredulous look.

“I’m not about to keep you from her.  You just refused the most sought after woman in here.”  She flicked her long black locks over her bare shoulder.  “So far be it for me to stand … or sit in your way.”  Skylar’s dimples deepened.

“Fair enough,” he said, scooting in close to Paige.

As Skylar was about to head back to the dance floor, ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ by Savage Garden came pouring through the sound system.  She took one glance toward the dance floor, where couples began to congregate and promptly headed for the bar. 

“I’m out. Want anything?”  Skylar asked, before quickly retreating to the bar without waiting for a reply.

“Okay…” Natasha rolled her eyes at Skylar’s back.

  Nick softly took Paige’s hand in his and nodded toward the floor.  As he pulled her up, she couldn’t hold back the emotions that were flooding through her.  This rush was something she’d never experienced.  When she was married, Davis only asked her to dance out obligation – never out of romantic desire.  Even then, it was only if she begged him too. 

She quickly shook the memories from her head, as nothing from her past could touch her anymore.  Especially with how Nick softly drew her into his arms.  With him, she felt an ease like she’d never known. 

As the powerful lyrics bounded through the room, it felt as if it infused their spirits. She knew the thought sounded silly, but it was almost like the music was pulling them center as their bodies swayed.

As the chorus sounded around them, they locked eyes and slowed to a stop. Although other couples were still dancing – it was as if everything else drifted off to a parallel plane, and it was only the two of them.

At that point, Paige was only aware of two things: how fast her heart was pounding - and how the lyrics spoke to them both.

I’ll be your wish

I’ll be your fantasy

I’ll be your hope; I’ll be your love

Be everything that you need

I’ll love you more with every breath

Truly, madly, deeply do

Nick couldn’t take his eyes off of her. As the chorus played, it was like they were speaking their own language, to which no one else heard let alone understood.   He ran his hands up her back and internally groaned.  He was trying to be a gentlemen, but just being near her was torture.

He had always been drawn to Paige – but as he stared down into her bold blue eyes, he truly felt like he’d found his soulmate. Gently, he brought his lips down to kiss hers. And as the lyrics wound around them, drawing them in – inch by emotional inch, Nick realized he couldn’t fathom a life without her.

As the song came to an end, he wasn’t ready to release her.  As they slowly pulled apart, every part of his body that had been molded to hers felt cold.  He reluctantly dropped his arms and started to take her back to their table, when another slow song came on.  Their eyes connected, allowing him to see that the spark he felt was mirrored in her adoring gaze. At that moment, he felt his heart could bound from his chest.  He pulled her back into his embrace, hoping they could stay like that forever.                           

              Skylar slowly approached Natasha with two drinks in hand.  She effortlessly slid them on the table, with her eyes glued to the couple on the dancefloor.  It was obvious they only had eyes for one another. 

              “Here.”  She pushed one toward Natasha, whose face registered the shock she felt. 

Skylar sat, letting out a sigh. “I don’t know about you, but those two are something else.  Do you see they way he looks at her?” 

Her heart ached.  She’d have given anything to have someone look at her like that.

              “I know.  And that kiss,” she sighed.  “My husband hasn’t ever shown that type of passion or restraint.  I’m not going to lie. I’m all hot and bothered.”  Natasha blinked, and fanned herself.

              “Here.”  She slid a cocktail napkin over, and sweetly smiled toward the couple, saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her light up like that.” 

Natasha tilted her head and grinned at the memory of how Nick used to have the same effect on her in high school.  She temporarily took her eyes off the two of them to say, “I think the only reason Davis fought to keep her attention, was because his girlfriend was in Nick’s sights.”

“Really?  They were a thing in school?”  She pointed to them, in shock.  This was news. 

Natasha shook her head. “Nope, but if Nick had a chance with her in school – I know he would have taken it.”

Skylar blinked and turned her attention back to the dance floor, thankful that the two looked to be finally getting their chance.

“Well – they’re making up for lost time.”

“Oooh.  I almost forgot!”  Natasha fumbled for her phone and snapped another photo to capture the moment.  She scrolled through her photos and showed Skylar. “I already snapped a picture of you guys, when you were on the floor dancing earlier.  I need to post this one too.”

She quickly uploaded it to Facebook and turned it toward Skylar with a devious grin.

“What?”  She snatched the phone to searching Natasha’s Facebook wall.  “Oh look -  the first one already has like 70 likes.  Did you tag Paige in it?”

Natasha’s eyes gleamed.  “Of course! That was the whole point.  By now, I bet all of our classmates have seen it.”

“All of them?”  Skylar’s face lit up.

“You know Davis had to have seen it too.”

Skylar chuckled.  “I knew I liked you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I promise!” She laughed, turning her attention back to Paige.  “Seriously, though … will you look at them?  They’re meant for one another.”

Natasha leaned back in her chair and sighed once more.  “Yeah,  they are.  And it’s about time.”