Nate (The Princesses of Silicon Valley - Book 4) (12 page)

My childhood friend, Chris, comes into town, he’s still playing professional hockey. I make sure to get tickets for his game. This time he’s not flying out until the next morning. We make plans to meet up at his hotel. Juliette joins me. She’s fun to take since she gets into watching the game and asks good questions, mostly about strategy.

“Do I root for our team or Chris’s?” she asks.

Looking at the player bench only feet from where we sit, I tell her, “You root for our team, unless Chris has a good play. Then you root for Chris.”

The attending sitting next to me talks mostly about the guys that are his patients. I’ve worked with him now and have met some of the players. The game is fun. Chris still looks strong. But they play him like a veteran, to anchor the young guys.

Afterwards, Juliette and I head over to his hotel to meet him in the bar.

Chris comes down limping a bit, but looking strong. We fist bump, then guy hug. I introduce him to Juliette.

Looking at his leg, “What’s going on? You looked strong on the ice.”

“This is a young man’s sport,” he says as he applies an ice pack on his leg. “All these years of being checked into the boards has taken its toll. I’ll work it out more after we talk.”

“How’re the boys?”

He scratches his face, “The boys are good—three and five.” He pulls out his iPhone and shows me some pictures. Then he shakes his head, “Julia’s taking me to the cleaners. Man, I should have waited to get married. The travel schedule, I’m gone the whole season. It’s just too hard on a marriage. You know too many distractions.”

“Yeah, but you’ve made a lot.”

He nods, “But, these are my big earning years. Once I retire….” he shakes his head. “I’m looking into my next act. Dude, I only have a GED. I was too busy playing hockey to attend classes.”

“Have you thought of what you’ll do next?”

“I have investments. Half the investments I had before…. But, I’m thinking of going back to school. I’d like to become a trainer. With all my injuries, I’ve learned a lot. And you?”

“I’ve got a year and a half left to my fellowship.”

Chris chuckles, “Yeah, I’m now the old man getting ready to retire and you’re the young guy just starting out. Funny how at the same age we can be in such different places in our lives.”

I nod.

On the way home I think about roads not traveled and the choices we all make.

***

The next day, after our run, as Juliette looks at her phone she asks, “Who is Mariana Castro?”

“What?” I say as I feel my body stiffen.

“Mariana Castro left me a message on Facebook. She says, “Can we meet in Palo Alto to talk about Nate? Do you know who she is and why she’s contacting me?”

I breathe slowly to control myself. Jamie warned me about this. “Mariana’s my old girlfriend.”

Juliette lowers her phone. Looking surprised she says, “The one from Minnesota? The one you lived with?”

I slowly nod my head.

“She’s in town?”

I nod again.

“...and you’ve known about this?”

I nod my head again as I watch every muscle in Juliette’s face trying to gauge her reaction.

“Have you seen her?”

I nod.

“Have you slept with her?”

“No!” I emphatically say.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on. She showed up, that’s it.”

Juliette’s voice gets low as I see the blood run out of her face, “And you didn’t tell me about her because…?”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

Juliette bites her lip as she stares at me.

“If your old boyfriend, the one you lived with in London showed up, what would you do?”

She frowns, “Run in the other direction.”

“What if he chased after you? Said he was sorry, that he wanted you back?”

Her eyes get big, she gasps, “Wow, what a fantasy. First, I’d just enjoy getting that level of satisfaction—you know closure. But, I’d never go back. I don’t want him in my life. I don’t even want him in the same town. That story is over.”

I just nod and say, “Yeah.”

She then gets a horrified look on her face, “I’m not responding. Will she start doing weird stalky things?’

I shake my head no as I think, how far is Mariana going to go…?

***

After talking about Mariana with Juliette, my mind spins. The next day I stop at Jamie’s.

     She answers the door, “What’s up?”

I hand her the small velvet box as I come in and sit down on her sofa. She follows me, frowns at the box, and then opens it up. “An engagement ring? You’ve only been seeing Juliette for what six months. Don’t you think you’re going to freak her out if you propose so soon?”

“It’s not for Juliette.”

Jamie gets a wild look on her face and a big smile, “For me? Oh, Nate, have you turned into Caligula?”

“Oh gross, don’t even say shit like that out loud.”

She then skeptically says, “Was this Marina’s ring?”

“Yeah, it was grandma’s diamond. I think you should have it. I’d never give it to anyone else.”

“So you and Mariana?”

“That was over a long time ago.”

“Do you still love her?”

“A piece of me will always love her. But, she’s not my future. I don’t want that ring. I’ve moved on.”

***

A few days later Juliette says to me in this serious way she has, “I’ve now received four messages from her. Does she text you?”

I don’t have to ask who she’s talking about and I’m not going to lie, “Yeah, she spends way too much time blowing up my phone.”

Juliette is now looking down, her head to the side.

Shit, I was afraid of this, she’s been dwelling on Marianna. “Hey, Juliette, I don’t engage with her. When she first came back, I thought about it. But then I realized, Mariana and I are over. We were over a long time ago. She’s no longer who I want to be with.”

Juliette slowly nods.

I reach out and pull her into my arms. “I had a choice, I chose you, and you’re who I want.”

Juliette texts me:
Big News Cassie broke up with Luke and is now dating Ford.

Having no idea who Ford is I just check my schedule to make sure I’m not seeing Luke this week since I really don’t need that kind of drama.

When I stop by Juliette’s later that night there’s some guy hanging out in front. I’m thinking it’s another one of Cassie stalkers as I puff out my chest and say, “Hey, dude move on this isn’t cool.”

The guy responds, “This is a public road, I can stand here if I want.”

“Not if you’re some dickhead stalker you can’t.”

“I’m not a stalker, I’m paparazzi. See, I have a camera,” he says holding up his camera.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No, dude, it’s all over the Internet. Ford stole Luke Tomlin’s girlfriend. There was this big fight. Tomlin decked him. I’m going to get some pictures. This is the girlfriend’s house.”

Not knowing where to go with this, I give up and head inside. Juliette’s in her room. “Where’s Cassie?” I ask.

“Oh, she took off.”

“Do you know there’s some idiot outside wanting a picture of her and Ford?”

She nods, “Yeah, Cassie wanted to make sure she got the well connected Paparazzi to take her picture of she and Ford heading down to LA.”

“Did Tomlin deck the guy?”

“Is that what they’re now saying? Cassie’s been working overtime to come up with a story the media is interested in.”

“I don’t think Tomlin will be too happy to have Cassie telling folks he decked Ford.”

“I don’t think Cassie cares what Luke thinks anymore. As long as she gets her picture splayed across the media, she’ll be happy. Oh, wow, she sent all these naked pictures to Luke. She’ll be thrilled if he releases them in retaliation.”

“How about you stay at my place until that guy out front decides to get someone else’s picture. I don’t really feel comfortable having you here with Cassie chasing weirdo’s around.”

***

Marina confronts me again.

     This time my head’s on straight and I don’t act like a wuss. When she approaches, I hold my ground. Finally telling her, “Mariana, it’s over. Stop trying to meet up with my girlfriend, stop blowing up my phone, stop following me, stop coming on to me. I’m done. You moved on once. Move on again.”

Mariana starts crying.

I leave.

A few days later when I’m filling out some paper work, she comes up to me.

I turn in my chair, get up, and leave.

She calls after me, “Wait, Nate.”

I just keep walking.

A few days later, she approaches me again. “Do I need to get a restraining order?” I say.

Her eyes get big and wide, she gasps, shakes her head, finally saying, “No.”

With my arms crossed I say, “We have nothing to talk about. Whatever your reasons were for leaving, no longer have anything to do with me. You need to talk to a shrink because I’m not doing this.” I then walk away. A side of me is sad, really sad, but another side is just relieved. I hear Juliette’s sweet voice in my head;
What a fantasy. First, I’d just enjoy getting that level of satisfaction, you know closure. But I’d never go back.

***

Juliette tells me that Ford is Bradford Perry, the rock star. The good news is we’re saved from Cassie’s loud sex for a month when she joins Ford on tour.

A month later, Ford and Cassie show up. They spend a lot of time hanging out around the house. In response, Juliette spends a lot of nights at my place, which I like. Neither of us want to put up with all of Cassie’s screaming; which makes me wonder how Ford puts up with it. Cassie’s unbelievably hot, but all that screaming in my ear would get old after a while.

I’m over at Juliette’s enough to actually witness Ford creating a bunch of new songs. As I wait for Juliette to gather her stuff, Ford sits down with his guitar.

“Hey, Nate, what do you think of this melody?” he asks.

“Ford, asking me what I think…?” I shake my head and laugh, “Dude, ask me about an injury, hockey or MMA, but music? I think you got the wrong guy.”

“Nate, my audience doesn’t have a degree in music. Does the song stay with you or are you wishing you could change the channel?”

It’s interesting to see the songs evolve. After a while, I can actually give some form of constructive feedback. Waiting for Juliette to get her things I say, “Ford, now that sounds good.”

Ford laughs, “If I ever mess up my hips or knees, I’ll call you.”

“Don’t guitarists mess up their elbows?”

“Dude, you should see the shit they have me do on the stage.”

After he polishes up a bunch of new songs, he invites us to a private show up in San Francisco, where he’s trying his new songs out on a live audience. It turns into an amazing evening. It’s actually at Bimbo’s, a well-known supper club. There are about two hundred people in the audience. Most of them I assume are big wigs in the industry and friends of Ford. We actually sit with Cassie and Ford’s brother. I’ve hung with this guy for the last month. He’s easy to talk to and unassuming in Juliette’s living room.

Ford gets up on stage and just glows with charisma. It feels like a total transformation from the guy I’ve been hanging with. What blows my mind is the level of energy I get from this live performance. All the songs he plays are songs I’ve heard a number of times. On stage, with a band, the songs are in a different league, they’re amazing. And Ford’s stage presence is awesome; his energy just runs through my veins. After about three songs, Ford pulls Cassie up on the stage. He wraps his arm around her and announces, “My beautiful girlfriend Cassie is going to star in my next music video.” He then dedicates the next song to her as she basks in all the attention.

Juliette taps my arm and says into my ear, “Now, this is the right kind of guy for Cassie.”

My former medical school roommates, Melissa and Dave, have a son, I’ve been chosen as his godfather. Flying with Juliette to New York for the christening, we take the red eye. Juliette arranges for us stay at her sister’s. They live on the fortieth floor of a large, meticulously decorated modern condo. Arriving at her sisters at nine in the morning, we’re let in by a house keeper. The view is amazing, while her sister Leigh and John are nowhere to be seen. Though she does leave Juliette detailed instructions on where to go to get her bridesmaid dress fitted.

Melissa and Dave are now attending doctors and have bought a large townhouse in Brooklyn. After Juliette’s fitting, we get some deli food to go, and then head over to their place. For me, it’s always comfortable being around them. Juliette is easy going, friendly, and is all excited about the new baby, which makes for an enjoyable afternoon.

When Juliette gets up to go to the bathroom, Melissa gives me one of her looks and says, “Now this is the right girl for you.”

Smiling at Melissa, I realize that I, too, want Juliette to be my future, though I don’t yet think she’s ready for that conversation. There’s no big rush, I still have a year and a half remaining on my fellowship. I figure once Cassie moves in with Ford, Juliette will need a new roommate and I’ll get her to move in with me.

That night after dinner, I take Juliette up to the top of the Empire State building. I put my arms around her and give her a kiss; breaking away she leans into me as we stare at all the buildings with their lights on. “Nice View” I say.

Juliette laughs, “Did your sister tell you to do this?”

“What?” I say with all innocence.

Juliette chuckles as she leans back and gives me a kiss. While I think, I know nothing about Nora Ephron and Sex in the City, but Jamie was right, this is the best place in the city to take my girl.