that it was a joke, sighed in
relief. “You bastard!”
“You have to admit, it was pretty funny.”
Not two seconds ago it wasn’t Claire thought. She
didn’t even know why she thought Nate was being serious. They weren’t even
seeing each other. It must have been the sunset , she told herself. She must
have just gotten so caught up in the moment that she forgot who she was with
and why. That must be it.
She smiled. “You’re right, it was pretty funny.
Although I still feel kind of sick from it,” she said holding her stomach.
“The thought of marrying me makes you sick?”
“The thought of having to see you voluntarily
makes me sick.”
Nate faked a sad face. “I happen to think the
complete opposite. The thought of seeing you steals my breath away. Seeing you
in your perfect form makes my heart pound in my chest. You’re all I want.”
Hearing that from any guy would have melted Claire’s
heart. Hearing it from Nate, however, and seeing the smug
look on his face, made her nearly gag.
“Righto, Romeo, you can tone it back a bit now,”
she said grabbing her glass from his hand and pushing past him.
“For a minute there I thought we’d have something to celebrate,” the hot air
balloon guy called out. “It’s a beautiful way to propose, though, if you two
decide to do it for real next time. You make a really nice couple.”
Claire’s mouth fell open. She looked at Nate who
seemed to be enjoying her discomfort. “We are not a couple,” she quickly shot
back.
The man looked at her confused. “Oh I’m sorry,
it’s just the way you two were together and… well let’s face it, you are in a hot air balloon watching the sunset.
It’s a pretty romantic thing to do.”
“It’s not romantic. We are just two frie -… people that are spending time with each other,” she
said quickly, clearly uncomfortable.
The man shrugged. “If you say
so.”
She shot a foul look at Nate and pointed her
finger at him. He shrugged at her and smiled. “Can you blame a guy for trying?”
Oh, she could and she would. She was playing with
fire when it came to Nate and she knew it. There was just nothing she
could do about it. Claire calmed herself-The date was nearly over and that
meant so was her time with Nate. .
***
“This has been one of the best days
of my life!” Claire exclaimed. “Well apart from that little incident,” she
said, eying Nate. “Thank you, though, for everything.” Claire pulled her car up
in front of Nate’s apartment.
He smiled at her. “You’re welcome, it’s the least I could do for you.”
He opened the car door and, placing his crutches
to the ground, he turned to look back at her, sadness filling his eyes. “I’ll
be seeing you.”
This was it. They wouldn’t be seeing each other
anymore. Claire’s placement was finished and she would go back to her life.
They would go their separate ways.
A feeling of heartache and desolation suddenly
filled Claire.
This was meant to happen, but why did it feel
so wrong?
She wasn’t ready to say goodbye, to go away from
him, but she had to. None of this was fair to Dave, and she knew it.
“Bye Nate. Good luck with everything,” she
said solemnly.
He stared at her for a moment, his mouth opening
to say something, but it froze and he turned away. He pushed his crutches to
the ground and pulled his body forward.
Crack!
“Fuck! Just what I need!” Nate cursed as he fell to the ground, holding the broken crutch up to examine
it.
“Shit. I’ll help you up to your apartment,” Claire
said quickly, opening her car door and running to his aide. He had three
flights of stairs to get to his apartment, and the thought of him injuring his
leg again made Claire wince. All that pain and suffering would have been
for nothing.
She wrapped her arms under his and helped him to
his feet.
“Thanks,” Nate said, using Claire’s body strength
to limp to his building’s entrance.
By the time they reached Nate’s
relief. “You bastard!”
“You have to admit, it was pretty funny.”
Not two seconds ago it wasn’t Claire thought. She
didn’t even know why she thought Nate was being serious. They weren’t even
seeing each other. It must have been the sunset , she told herself. She must
have just gotten so caught up in the moment that she forgot who she was with
and why. That must be it.
She smiled. “You’re right, it was pretty funny.
Although I still feel kind of sick from it,” she said holding her stomach.
“The thought of marrying me makes you sick?”
“The thought of having to see you voluntarily
makes me sick.”
Nate faked a sad face. “I happen to think the
complete opposite. The thought of seeing you steals my breath away. Seeing you
in your perfect form makes my heart pound in my chest. You’re all I want.”
Hearing that from any guy would have melted Claire’s
heart. Hearing it from Nate, however, and seeing the smug
look on his face, made her nearly gag.
“Righto, Romeo, you can tone it back a bit now,”
she said grabbing her glass from his hand and pushing past him.
“For a minute there I thought we’d have something to celebrate,” the hot air
balloon guy called out. “It’s a beautiful way to propose, though, if you two
decide to do it for real next time. You make a really nice couple.”
Claire’s mouth fell open. She looked at Nate who
seemed to be enjoying her discomfort. “We are not a couple,” she quickly shot
back.
The man looked at her confused. “Oh I’m sorry,
it’s just the way you two were together and… well let’s face it, you are in a hot air balloon watching the sunset.
It’s a pretty romantic thing to do.”
“It’s not romantic. We are just two frie -… people that are spending time with each other,” she
said quickly, clearly uncomfortable.
The man shrugged. “If you say
so.”
She shot a foul look at Nate and pointed her
finger at him. He shrugged at her and smiled. “Can you blame a guy for trying?”
Oh, she could and she would. She was playing with
fire when it came to Nate and she knew it. There was just nothing she
could do about it. Claire calmed herself-The date was nearly over and that
meant so was her time with Nate. .
***
“This has been one of the best days
of my life!” Claire exclaimed. “Well apart from that little incident,” she
said, eying Nate. “Thank you, though, for everything.” Claire pulled her car up
in front of Nate’s apartment.
He smiled at her. “You’re welcome, it’s the least I could do for you.”
He opened the car door and, placing his crutches
to the ground, he turned to look back at her, sadness filling his eyes. “I’ll
be seeing you.”
This was it. They wouldn’t be seeing each other
anymore. Claire’s placement was finished and she would go back to her life.
They would go their separate ways.
A feeling of heartache and desolation suddenly
filled Claire.
This was meant to happen, but why did it feel
so wrong?
She wasn’t ready to say goodbye, to go away from
him, but she had to. None of this was fair to Dave, and she knew it.
“Bye Nate. Good luck with everything,” she
said solemnly.
He stared at her for a moment, his mouth opening
to say something, but it froze and he turned away. He pushed his crutches to
the ground and pulled his body forward.
Crack!
“Fuck! Just what I need!” Nate cursed as he fell to the ground, holding the broken crutch up to examine
it.
“Shit. I’ll help you up to your apartment,” Claire
said quickly, opening her car door and running to his aide. He had three
flights of stairs to get to his apartment, and the thought of him injuring his
leg again made Claire wince. All that pain and suffering would have been
for nothing.
She wrapped her arms under his and helped him to
his feet.
“Thanks,” Nate said, using Claire’s body strength
to limp to his building’s entrance.
By the time they reached Nate’s
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